Suhua Highway is one of the most dangerous highways in Taiwan. It is built precariously on a seaside cliff: a steep cliff on one side, the open sea on the other. It is more of a one way road than a highway, forcing the locals to gather together to discuss and schedule when each side can cross over. That’s not all. Rock slides of all sizes - from pebble rain to huge boulders - are a common hazard. Consequently, there were lots of accidents. According to local superstition, there is a terrifying ghost making fun of people and causing hundreds to die.
Evidently, the highway is the most challenging nightmare for most drivers.
Although Suhua Highway has such a high death rate, it is the only way for the residents to travel in and out of Hualien in the north. In the geographical center of Taiwan, there is a high mountain range that divides Taiwan into two long pieces: the west and the east. On the west coast, it is easy to travel north-to-south because the ground is flat. For the east coast, it is almost impossible to do the same thing because there are so many mountains and rushing rivers between Yi-lan and Hualien. If you try to take a different route than Suhua Highway, it will take at least a few months to get to Hualien from Yi-lan. This is why the highway is so important to the residents there.
The Suhua Highway had continuously collapsed these past years due to typhoons and unrelenting rain. Eventually, the locals couldn’t handle this anymore and appealed to the government for safer passage. After a few demonstrations, the government finally started their arrangement to build a new highway between Yi-lan and Hualien. However, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this construction project. Environmentalists claim that a huge human-made road ripping through the center of the forest will cause countless wildlife to lose their habitats or even die due to the environmental impacts. After arguments and concessions, the government laid down plans for a highway that is both friendly to the environment and safe for human traffic.
Now, the way between Hualien and Yi-lan is so much safer than before. Tourists and travelers can now put away their fear while going through the New Suhua Highway. Taiwan has successfully finished yet another difficult task. This show of spirit is one more step forward to prove that the Taiwanese can find a way through any impossibilities.
