Premier Sean Chen today thanked engineering and construction crews for restoring two-way travel along the 115.8-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway No. 9 ahead of schedule on January 30. The roadbed collapsed from continuous downpours last mid-December.
Initial images of the damage were startling, said the premier, and he knew then that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications would face an arduous task. He commended the workers for a job well done and donated a token monetary gift to the ministry in appreciation.
Since Typhoon Megi hit Taiwan in 2010, the Executive Yuan has kept a close eye on that section of road, said the premier. According to geological analyses conducted by National Taiwan University, the area sits at the junction of two tectonic plates where fragile rock strata is prone to collapse when washed by large volumes of water.
After torrential rains last year caused landslides in the area, emergency crews worked around the clock to repair the road, consolidate lower slopes, cut through the mountain and open a contingency roadway. As a result, two-way traffic was restored before the busy Lunar New Year period.
Everyone wants to have smooth traffic and safe roads between Suao and Hualien, whether traveling for business, sightseeing or to visit family, Chen said. He hopes people would give more recognition to the engineers and construction crews for their contributions; hopefully the projects can be completed at an early date, he added.
Earlier, the premier visited the Julin Nursing Private Institution in Yilan and watched a drum performance by the nursing home's senior residents. Delighted, Chen said the show was very professional and made him feel as if the New Year had already arrived.
On the topic of the national pension systems, which international academics refer to as "economics of the elderly," the premier said a person needs assistance particularly in the early and late years of life when their physical functions are more limited. Many residents at the nursing home had contributed much to society, he said, and it was time for society to pay them back. The premier donated a monetary gift to the nursing home and joined residents in baking steamed sponge cake, a holiday favorite.