Hsinchu County allocates NT$10 million for emergency repairs after flood breaches Boluowen River dike

Hsinchu County is mobilizing emergency funds to repair a critical section of the Boluowen River dike in Hukou Township after it was breached by recent heavy rains. The breach not only damaged the dike but also caused a portion of the Changfu Road Section 1 roadbed to collapse, impacting the access for approximately 40 local residences.

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The damaged dike is located at a bend in the river, and the upstream dike also uses old "sandwich" revetment. Although the dike cannot be completely updated at once, the relatively dangerous and urgent sections should be improved first. Therefore, I request that the reconstruction work area be extended northward by at least 20 to 30 meters to provide better flood control capabilities for the river sections prone to scouring.

County Magistrate Yang Wen-ko, accompanied by local officials, inspected the site and has committed at least 10 million New Taiwan dollars for immediate repairs. The damaged dike, constructed with a traditional "sandwich" method using soil and stone with a cement exterior, is estimated to be over two to three decades old. Officials noted its inadequacy in resisting the intense flash floods brought on by extreme weather.

The compromised section of the dike is located at a bend in the river. The 34-meter-long, 7-meter-high breach has led to the erosion of the roadbed. To address the vulnerability of the "sandwich" construction, authorities plan to rebuild a 74-meter stretch of the dike downstream from the damaged area. The reconstruction will include a new dike and a low wall along the road, reaching a total height of 8 meters, along with road improvements, estimated to cost NT$10 million.

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After the disaster occurred, the public office immediately closed the road to protect road users. We also asked the contractor to mobilize large stones to block the river channel to prevent the roadbed from being continuously scoured and the road from being completely interrupted.

Local authorities have already closed the affected road to ensure public safety. Contractors have deployed large stones to stabilize the river flow and prevent further erosion of the roadbed. The township office will also provide waste collection services for the affected households during the reconstruction. Magistrate Yang emphasized the need to extend the repair work further upstream to reinforce sections prone to erosion, enhancing the overall flood control capacity of the river bend.

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The damaged dike is a traditional "sandwich" construction. It is already insufficient to resist the peak floods caused by torrential rain under extreme weather conditions.