Miaoli Indigenous Councilors Plead for Road Safety Amid Frequent Rockfalls

(CNA, Miaoli County, Reporter Kuan Jui-ping, June 8) Miaoli County's Road 21 and Road 62, important tourist routes for Nanzhuang and Taian townships respectively, have long suffered from frequent rockfalls. Indigenous county councilors Yang Wen-chang and Liu Mei-lan pleaded for the safety of local residents and tourists during a session today, hoping for a thorough improvement soon.

Independent Miaoli County Councilor Yang Wen-chang pointed out during the council session that Road 21 is a necessary route for tourists heading to camping areas in Nanzhuang's Luchang area, Shenxian Valley, and hiking spots like Mt. Gali. However, the 'Steep Cliff' section poses a latent rockfall danger regardless of the weather. Previously installed rockfall prevention nets have been repeatedly destroyed, and tribal members have long requested the construction of a rock-shed tunnel as a permanent solution.

Ku Ming-hung, Director of the county's Public Works Department, stated that the Ministry of Transportation's Highway Bureau and the Public Construction Commission had conducted detailed assessments of this landslide-prone area. The Highway Bureau initially suggested building an elevated steel bridge to bypass the disaster zone. However, after a review by the commission early this year, based on geological surveys and rockfall trajectory analysis, it was determined that bouncing rocks could endanger the bridge, leading to a preference for constructing a rock-shed tunnel.

Ku said that before the tunnel construction, to maintain safety, the commission last week approved NT$11 million for preliminary improvements to install rockfall prevention netting. The county government will proceed with the work as soon as possible and continue to seek funding for the tunnel in August.

Yang Wen-chang noted that besides Road 21, Road 62 in Taian Township is also a key access route for tourists visiting the Taian hot spring area. Rockfalls hitting vehicles have been frequent in the past, and local tribe members once petitioned the Presidential Office through a tribal meeting, urgently calling for improvements.

KMT County Councilor Liu Mei-lan also said that Road 62 is a vital external link for over 2,200 villagers in Taian's Jinshui and Bagua villages, who feel like they are gambling with their lives every time they go out. She demanded the Public Works Department explain the progress and bottlenecks of the improvement plan.

Ku Ming-hung stated that three years ago, the Ministry of Transportation and the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee conducted a site visit and recommended the county government monitor the rockfall areas. The county applied for funding as instructed, but the request was rejected after a year and a half of review.

Ku pointed out that the county government has spent over three years making multiple attempts to secure funding. A plan for the overall improvement of Road 62, costing about NT$2.1 billion, was divided into three stages as suggested by the central review, but the review process has not been smooth, being time-consuming and complicated. The final conclusion was to revert to disaster recovery, meaning repairs would only be made after a disaster occurs. He said this is unfair to the local people, but current proposals have failed to persuade the Highway Bureau's review system. They will actively continue to communicate through the county's legislators and indigenous committee members. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 1150608