Access between Kaohsiung and Taitung via the Southern Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 20) would be restored by the end of this month, Directorate-General of Highways Director Chen Wen-jui (陳文瑞) said yesterday.
About 140km of the highway was severely damaged by Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
“We are glad to announce that after 13 years of repairs, the section of highway from Baolai (寶來) to Tianchi (天池), both in Kaohsiung, has been reopened to the public,” Chen said.
Photo courtesy of Directorate-General of Highways and Hung Chun-ching
The last section of the highway to be opened is the section between the Tianchi Tunnel and Siangyang Road (向陽), which was deemed safe enough to drive on starting this month, he said.
However, the section of highway between the entrance to Meishan (梅山) and Tianchi, as well as the section between Tianchi and Siangyang Road would only be conditionally opened to the public.
The section between Meishan and Siangyang Road would be open to traffic from 7am to 2pm, and vehicles may only exit the section after 2pm, the Directorate-General of Highways said.
From 3pm, vehicles must vacate the restricted section between Meishan to Siangyang Road, with no vehicles allowed after 5pm.
Vehicles would also be banned from entering the section on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the agency said.
To ensure safety along the highway, the agency would place checkpoints and plate readers along the road, allowing the agency to know what vehicles are at which section, Chen said.
The system would also allow the agency to notify travelers before they enter the highway whether they can expect heavy traffic or traffic jams, he added.
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