Typhoon high waves erode highway in Hualien, causing two cars to crash

Affected by the strong winds and powerful long-period swells brought by Typhoon Champi churning in the open sea, the coastal areas of Fengbin Township in Hualien County have been continuously battered and assaulted by giant waves over the past few days. Due to relentless seawater intrusion and powerful scouring, the roadbed of the northbound lane at the 61-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 11 suffered severe erosion, with reports of damage emerging on the 24th. This sudden road collapse caused two vehicles passing through the section at the time to crash directly into the damaged road surface before they could dodge in time, resulting in blown tires. Among them, one vehicle lost control and struck the roadside guardrail. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the entire incident, and all drivers and passengers escaped safely.

Provincial Highway 11, where the accident occurred, is a vital coastal arterial highway connecting Hualien and Taitung counties. Running closely alongside the Pacific Ocean, it boasts magnificent scenery but has long faced severe tests from northeast monsoon winds and typhoon waves. Whenever a typhoon forms in the open sea or passes through the waters east of Taiwan, strong winds often whip up long-period swells several meters high, directly striking low-lying coastal road sections and protective facilities. Although Typhoon Champi did not make a direct landfall on Taiwan proper, the long-wave effect triggered by its massive wind field and outer circulation could not be underestimated. The continuous accumulation of wave energy ultimately exceeded the protective limit of that section of Provincial Highway 11, causing severe erosion of the earth and rock beneath the roadbed, leaving the road surface suspended and presenting hidden collapse hazards.

Following the accident, the Eastern Branch of the Highway Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications quickly received reports and immediately activated an emergency response mechanism, dispatching personnel to the scene to implement safety cordons and traffic control. Because the scope of the roadbed erosion affected driving safety, the construction team took emergency closure measures at the first instance, temporarily shutting down the affected lanes to prevent passing vehicles from encountering further danger. Meanwhile, emergency repair machinery and engineering personnel were immediately deployed to the site to carry out temporary protection and backfilling operations, working tirelessly to repair the damaged roadbed structure and striving to restore normal traffic capacity on that road section in the shortest possible time to avoid long-term impacts on the daily lives and tourism traffic of residents along the Hualien east coast.

Following intensive round-the-clock work by the Highway Bureau's emergency repair team and on-site safety assessments, the repair progress at the 61-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 11 went smoothly. The closure has now been lifted, and two-way normal traffic has resumed. However, this incident involving blown tires and guardrail collisions caused by long-wave roadbed erosion has once again highlighted the vulnerability of Taiwan's eastern coastal highways under the threat of extreme weather and turbulent sea conditions. As climate change intensifies and the frequency and intensity of typhoons exhibit uncertainty, disaster prevention engineering and infrastructure resilience for coastal highways have become key tasks that regulatory authorities must continually review and strengthen.

The Highway Bureau also urges motorists to remain highly vigilant when traveling on coastal highways such as Provincial Highway 11 during typhoon seasons or periods of poor sea conditions, and to pay close attention to road conditions and weather forecasts at all times. In the event of long-wave or heavy rain special advisories, drivers should try to avoid traveling through mountainous or hazardous coastal sections. Relevant authorities will also carry out long-term coastal protection and road bed reinforcement projects in vulnerable sections prone to wave erosion in the future, aiming to enhance the overall road safety barrier and ensure the life and property safety of road users.

(Source of Facts: Central News Agency)