A freeway linking Nangang and Suao in Ilan County will start collecting tolls today, despite disgruntlement on the part of Ilan residents.
They contend that the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway was "hardly a freeway" and should be described as an expressway at most.
They said it was only 55.3km long and has a speed limit of 90kph. In addition, the 12.9km Hsuehshan Tunnel, the centerpiece of the freeway, has a speed limit of just 70kph, which causes "constant" traffic jams, especially on weekends.
The tunnel is the longest in East Asia and the fifth-longest in the world.
To avoid worsening the traffic gridlock, Ilan County County Commissioner Lu Kuo-hua (
But officials from the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau said the freeway has many tunnel and overpass sections, and cost nearly NT$90 billion (US$2.74 billion) to build, which is considerably more than the cost of other freeways.
A control center and follow-up mechanical and electrical system maintenance will cost an additional NT$200 million annually, they said.
They asked for understanding on the part of Ilan residents about cost-return considerations.
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