Reversible lanes should be installed in the Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道) to alleviate traffic congestion over the Lunar New Year holiday, Yilan County Councilor Tsai Wen-yi (蔡文益) said on Tuesday.
The Directorate-General of Highways said that implementing lane changes within the tunnel is feasible, but detailed plans would require professional consultation and the results would not be available before June.
Tsai’s suggestion was one of many options put forward by local leaders, with Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) also suggesting reversible lanes, while Yilan County Council Speaker Chen Wen-chang (陳文昌) proposed levying a tax on those entering the county through the tunnel.
The Hsuehshan Tunnel, opened in 2006, has four lanes, with two lanes each for north and southbound traffic, Tsai said.
Tsai suggested adding a reversible lane during the holiday, adding that experts said such a measure could relieve traffic congestion by between 30 percent and 50 percent.
However, Toucheng Township (頭城) Mayor Tsao Chien-shun (曹乾舜) said a reversible lane would be a safety concern.
The mayor said that the best solution would be to expedite the construction of the expressway between Shihcheng (石城) and Fulong (福隆), which would serve to divert traffic from the freeway.
The potential safety risks could be mitigated by thorough planning, Tsai said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) said that the Directorate-General of Highways should establish a task force to study the reasons for the frequent traffic congestion in Hsuehshan Tunnel over the holiday and propose solutions, adding that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications should seek to expedite the Taipei-Yilan railway project.
That project refers to a Taiwan Railways Administration plan to tunnel from Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) to Yilan County’s Toucheng Township, cutting the length of a rail journey from 95.9km to 53km.
The Directorate-General of Highways Toucheng Public Works Section said limited space in the tunnel and the high volume of traffic meant that congestion was inevitable, despite control measures, such as bus-only lanes and only admitting high-occupancy vehicles.
The viability of implementing reversible lanes is expected to be low, while allowing overtaking would be more acceptable, the section said.
All options have been forwarded to experts for risk assessment and the Directorate-General of Highways expects to receive the results by June, the section said.
No changes would be implemented before the Lunar New Year holiday, it said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS