The westbound tunnel of the Hsuehshan Tunnel was temporarily closed yesterday after a large amount of smog set off the fire alarm system at around 3:49pm.
The smog was cleared away after the entrances were closed around 4pm, and the tunnel was later reopened at 4:30pm.
The 30-minute shutdown caused traffic outside the tunnel to back up for about one kilometer.
At a press conference later yesterday, Minister of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Kuo Yao-chi (
The Traffic Control Center in Pinglin (
Kuo said that she has ordered Bane Chiou (
Kuo also took the opportunity to criticize a report in the China Times which said that academics have warned that the temperature inside the tunnel will reach 50?C whenever there is traffic congestion. The report said that motorists could get heat stroke if they are stuck in the traffic in the tunnel for more than 30 minutes, even if they stay in cars whose air-conditioners are on for the entire time.
"[The report] was based on false hypothetical conditions, which then led to [the reporter's] false conclusions," she said, "And it further used these false conclusions and came up with an incorrect prediction."
Meanwhile, the bureau issued an official statement in response to the report, saying that the Hsuehshan Tunnel will not get overheated under any circumstances and that the ventilation system inside the tunnel will automatically be activated when carbon monoxide levels get too high.
The bureau's chief engineer Tseng Dar-jen (
Tseng added that 72 observation points have been installed in the tunnel to closely monitor changes in temperature and air quality. Changes in temperature are unlikely to affect drivers' safety, he said.
Tseng said that a special ventilation system is activated when carbon monoxide density reaches 55ppm, he said.
However, according to Tseng, the average density of carbon monoxide has only reached 10ppm so far.
Yesterday's incident marked the first time the tunnel was forced to shut down completely since it was officially opened last month.
The tunnel, which at 12.9km is the world's fourth longest, was opened amid concerns over its safety, particularly regarding the tunnel operators' ability to handle emergency situations.
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