Taitung Torrential Rain Triggers Landslides on South-Link Highway, Disrupting Traffic

Heavy rain sent mud and rocks onto several sections of Taiwan’s South-Link Highway in Taitung, blocking parts of the route and forcing emergency repairs.

The Central Weather Administration issued a torrential-rain warning for southeastern Taiwan as a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds brought continued rain to Taitung’s mountainous areas. The rainfall triggered landslides along Provincial Highway 9, a key route through the region.

At kilometer 404.7 in Daren Township’s Doliang Village, a mudflow poured from the hillside and covered the roadway with large amounts of sediment and rock. Water also accumulated heavily on the road. The Southern Branch of the Directorate General of Highways sent excavators and other heavy machinery to clear the debris.

Landslides also struck around kilometers 402 and 425. Authorities imposed controls on southbound traffic and used traffic cones and metal barriers to guide vehicles through single-lane, two-way sections or partial closures. Police said a landslide between kilometers 403 and 404 left the southbound lanes and the inner northbound lane closed, while the outer northbound lane remained open.

Officials urged drivers to slow down, watch road conditions and follow the directions of traffic personnel. They also advised motorists to check real-time traffic updates as continued rain could leave soil and rocks unstable in the highway and surrounding mountain roads.