Taiwan Today

National Freeway No. 6, which connects Wufong and Puli townships in central Taiwan’s Taichung and Nantou counties was opened March 21 by President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Liu Chao-shiuan. Described by the president as the “most environmentally-sound highway in Taiwan,” Ma also lauded its high-tech design and use of eco-friendly materials and construction techniques. “This has not only minimized the impact on the natural environment, but has also helped avoid environmental protection problems,” he said. “I hope these practices can be used in other major construction projects islandwide.” The 37.6-kilometer expressway follows Wu River in Nantou County, avoiding developed areas that would have forced the relocation of local residents. Seventy percent of the freeway consists of bridges, with about 10 percent tunnels. Taiwan’s newest major road is classified as a third-generation vehicular transportation link, which is unique in that it takes into account the needs of the surrounding environment. Instead of landscaping unused areas between entry and exit ramps as per standard practice, wetlands and ponds have been created. In addition, animal crossings have been set up at intervals along the road. In the past, it took around two and a half hours to travel from Taichung City to Puli, but the freeway has shortened this to an hour. With traffic on surrounding highways expected to ease, the government expects more tourists to visit central Taiwan’s abundance of natural attractions. Ma said as the only land-locked county on the island, Nantou has been relatively excluded from participating in the development of Taiwan’s economy. The government sees the freeway serving as a commercial and logistical link between the county’s townships and villages, boosting local green industries and tourism opportunities. “Nantou will no longer be a hard-to-reach heaven,” he said. “The development of the county is now foreseeable.” The premier also welcomed completion of the freeway. “I believe that Nantou will open new horizons for diverse development,” Liu said, adding that the government is set to implement other major public construction projects in the coming years to help spur on Taiwan’s economy. Nantou County is rich in agricultural and tourism resources. One of its signature products is Oolong tea, with Sun Moon Lake and Hsitou Forest Recreational Area, two of the country’s most popular scenic areas, are included among its tourist attractions. The new expressway is expected to bring the travel between Taipei and Sun Moon Lake down by half from five to two and a half hours. National Freeway No. 6 was first proposed by the then Taiwan Provincial Government’s Highway Bureau in the 1980s. In 1990, the bureau completed its feasibility report, with construction on the NT$37.5 billion (US$1.11 billion) project getting underway in 2004. Taiwan has eight national freeways. Write to Taiwan Journal at tj@mail.gio.gov.tw