Clearing work is continuing on a section of the Suhua Highway, where a landslide blocked the entrance of a tunnel early Thursday morning. Transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai says the rubble should be cleared by 5 p.m. on Sunday, with traffic to resume along the road once basic safety precautions are in place. Wang says the government has plans to further increase the safety of the cliff-side road in the future. One potential project is a 9.5-kilometer tunnel that could be completed around 2032. An excavator crawls up this pile of rubble to clear out debris. Today is Day 2 of repairs at Suhua Highway, which has been closed off due to a landslide 159.3 kilometers along the highway. At the scene it’s all noise and clouds of dust. The good news is that the side of the hill has stopped colleration should be finished by 5 p.m. on Sunday. The road will open after provisional safety measures are put in place. Wang Kwo-tsai Transport minister The work on the section is to first let traffic through. Then, we will spray concrete on the slope, put up nets, strengthen the structures and so on. None of that should have an impact on traffic flow. The transport minister inspected the inside of the affected tunnel on Friday morning. All in all, about 1,200 cubic meters of debris fell on the road, squashing the entrance to the tunnel. He said repairs will continue even after the road opens to traffic. He also voiced hope that a government plan to increase the safety of the highway would kick off construction as soon as possible. Wang Kwo-tsai Transport minister The Suhua Highway has bridges and tunnels, and it also goes through Taroko National Park. So the environmental assessment will be carried out until the end of the year. Data needs to be collected on all four seasons to convince the environmental assessment committee. We expect the project to be complete around 2032. The area of the collapse is included in plans to revamp the highway with a 9.5-kilometer tunnel. All to improve the traffic connections in Eastern Taiwan and make sure everyone has a safe road home. Show more