The Directorate-General of Highways yesterday said that the Suhua Highway Improvement Project is scheduled to be completed by 2019, adding that the improved highway would be opened to traffic in three different stages.
“We have encountered various issues during the construction, from flooding, landslides, discovery of an archeological site, the modification of the route, to changes in the tunnel design,” the agency said in a statement. “We have managed to overcome each and every one of them. We will fulfill our promise of giving people on the east coast a safe way home.”
The agency said that the project requires the construction of eight tunnels, which involves a lot of risks and variables.
At one stage, the amount of water gushing from the rocks reached 5,850 tonnes, enough to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools, the directorate said, adding that four water pumps had to be in operation for five consecutive days to remove the water from the flooded tunnel.
Workers building the Dongao Tunnel, which connects Suao Township (蘇澳) and Dongao Township (東澳) in Yilan County, have experienced 26 landslides because of the water springing from the rocks.
The agency said the improved highway is scheduled to be opened to traffic in three stages.
The first stage involves the opening of the section between Suao and Dongao townships, with the construction scheduled to be completed by 2017.
The second stage involves the opening of the section between Nanao (南澳) and Heping (和平) townships, which is due to be completed by 2018.
The agency said part of the construction of that section had been delayed due to the finding of the Hanben Culture (漢本遺址) archeological site in March 2012.
The last section to be opened is the one between Hejhung (和中) and Dacingshuei (大清水) townships, as it involves the construction of two tunnels.
The construction of the final section is scheduled to be completed by 2019, the agency said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it