Hsuehshan Tunnel to open on June 16, MOTC says

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on May 26, 2006. It reports that according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the long-awaited opening date of the Hsuehshan Tunnel has been set for June 16, 2006. So far, the installations of all the electronic and transportation monitoring systems in the tunnel have been completed. These systems are expected to be fully integrated by the end of May 2005.

The 12.9 kilometer-long Hsuehshan Tunnel is currently undergoing a series of assessments to test its performance. Meanwhile, the "contingency resources" part of the evaluation will be done on-site, as required improvements in other areas such as communication and roadway facilities have all been approved previously by the National Freeway Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

The evaluation team will mainly consist of scholars from transportation engineering departments at various research institutions. Officials from other government agencies will also attend, including the National Police Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, the National Fire Agency, the Department of Health, and the National Highway Police.

The Hsuehshan Tunnel is the longest in Southeast Asia and the fifth longest in the world. It is part of the No.5 National Expressway, which is the first freeway to connect east and west Taiwan. The tunnel is expected to promote development in the eastern Taiwan, particularly tourism in Yilan County, by significantly reducing the traveling time between Taipei and Yilan counties from the current 2.5 hours to 30 minutes.