UPDATE: Due to continued erosion and afternoon storms, the section of Suhua Highway is not expected to reopen to traffic until 2pm tomorrow.
The coastal highway between Heren (和仁) and Chongde (崇德) in Hualien County is expected to reopen to traffic by noon today following landslides last night, while train lines are to run on a single track until further notice.
Photo courtesy of a reader
Due to heavy rains yesterday, debris totaling an estimated 1,500m³ fell onto the Suhua Highway (Highway No. 9) near the 161.3km and 164.4km marks throughout the evening, the eastern branch of the Highway Bureau said.
The bureau closed the section to traffic at 9:32pm and dispatched excavators to clear the road.
By 7:38am, workers were able to clear seven trucks, two minibuses, 25 cars and four scooters from the affected areas.
The road is expected to reopen to traffic by noon, the bureau said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) said it had been able to clear the eastern tracks by 4:10am and reopen by 5:50am, but was still working to clear the western side.
Train traffic in both directions stopped at about 10:30pm last night after landslides covered the tracks in two spots between Chongde and Heren stations.
Trains are to operate on a single track until workers are able to clear the rest of the debris, causing delays of 10 to 15 minutes, the TRC said.
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