South Cross-Island Highway Closure Extended Through Aug. 31; Meishankou-Xiangyang Remains Closed, Wanli River Channel Red Continues
Original Chinese title: 南橫封閉延長至8/31：梅山口至向陽仍不開放，萬里溪河道red持續
The Highway Bureau announced at 09:02 on August 30 that Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105, 0K-44K from Meishankou to Xiangyang, will remain closed on August 31 because a low-pressure zone and southwesterly winds may still bring heavy rain to Kaohsiung's mountain areas from August 31 to September 1. The same corridor was also blocked earlier on August 30 by a fallen roadside tree at 12K+500 near Liguan, with clearance originally estimated for 17:00. Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan remain transport / watch, not red. The site's overall red remains solely for the officially delineated Wanli River channel because no formal lifting notice has been found.
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11:55 Update: South Cross-Island Highway Closure Extended Through Aug. 31; Taoyuan/Haiduan Transport Watch Continues
Information time: August 30, 2026, 11:55.
Official sources: Highway Bureau, Central Weather Administration, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Water Resources Agency disaster information service, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, and relevant local authorities.
Indigenous areas affected: The Highway Bureau's Southern Region Branch announced at 09:02 that Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105, 0K-44K from Meishankou to Xiangyang, will remain closed on August 31. The bureau cited a low-pressure zone and southwesterly winds and said official forecasts indicate a continuing chance of heavy rain in Kaohsiung's mountain areas from August 31 to September 1. Reopening will depend on weather and road-safety inspections. The closure directly affects South Cross-Island Highway access for Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan, which remain `transport / watch`, not `red`. Earlier today, a fallen roadside tree also blocked the same corridor at 12K+500 near Liguan; the earlier Highway Bureau notice had estimated clearance by 17:00. Until a formal reopening notice is issued, the section should still be treated as closed.
Nationwide regional scan: North: Wulai, Fuxing, Jianshi, Wufeng, Nanzhuang, and Tai'an have no newly identified expansion of heavy/torrential-rain warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, level-one inundation alerts, slope-disaster red/yellow escalations, road interruptions, evacuations, shelter activations, work/class suspensions, or major public-service interruptions in this scan; they remain `monitoring`. Central: Heping, Ren'ai, Xinyi, and Alishan remain `monitoring`, with no new major official change found. South: the Tainan mountain region; Taoyuan, Namasia, and Maolin in Kaohsiung; and Sandimen, Wutai, Majia, Taiwu, Laiyi, Chunri, Shizi, and Mudan in Pingtung have no newly identified level-one inundation or slope-disaster escalation; Taoyuan remains `transport / watch` because the South Cross-Island Highway closure has been extended. East: Datong and Nan'ao in Yilan, Xiulin/Wanrong/Zhuoxi in Hualien, and the listed Taitung Indigenous townships have no new major official change found; Haiduan remains `transport / watch` because the South Cross-Island Highway closure has been extended.
Alert level: This scan found no new ARDSWC debris-flow or large-scale-landslide red/yellow escalation and no new Indigenous-area level-one inundation alert, formal evacuation, shelter activation, work/class suspension, system-wide transport suspension, or major public-service interruption. If the site's overall `red` remains displayed, its only basis continues to be the previously established Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency red alert inside the officially delineated Wanli River channel. Recent official monitoring says the natural dam remains intact, overflow is stable, impacts remain confined to the channel, and no formal lifting notice has been found.
Recommended action: The Meishankou-Xiangyang section will remain closed on August 31. Travel between Taoyuan and Haiduan should be adjusted according to the Highway Bureau's latest road-status and detour information. Do not enter the officially delineated Wanli River channel until its red alert is formally lifted. Other Indigenous areas remain under monitoring; later heavy-rain, level-one inundation, slope-disaster escalation, road interruption, evacuation, shelter activation, or work/class suspension should be handled according to official notices.
Official notices govern.
08:06 Update: Fallen Tree Blocks South Cross-Island Highway at 12K+500, Delaying Reopening
Information time: August 30, 2026, 08:06.
Official sources: Highway Bureau, Central Weather Administration, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Water Resources Agency disaster information service, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, and relevant local authorities.
Indigenous areas affected: The Highway Bureau's Southern Region Branch announced at 07:12 that Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105, 0K-44K from Meishankou to Xiangyang, had been scheduled to return to its normal control arrangement at 07:00 on August 30. Road inspection instead found a fallen roadside tree blocking the road at 12K+500. The road was closed at 07:00 and is expected to be cleared by 17:00. This affects South Cross-Island Highway travel for Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan. Both remain `transport / watch`, not `red`.
Nationwide regional scan: North: Wulai, Fuxing, Jianshi, Wufeng, Nanzhuang, and Tai'an have no active CWA heavy/torrential-rain advisory in this scan, and no new level-one inundation alert, debris-flow or large-scale-landslide red/yellow alert, road interruption, evacuation, shelter activation, work-or-class suspension, or major public-service interruption was found; they remain `monitoring`. Central: Heping, Ren'ai, Xinyi, and Alishan remain `monitoring`, with no new major official change found. South: the Tainan mountain region; Taoyuan, Namasia, and Maolin in Kaohsiung; and Sandimen, Wutai, Majia, Taiwu, Laiyi, Chunri, Shizi, and Mudan in Pingtung remain on weather `monitoring`; Taoyuan separately has the road-blockage `transport / watch`. East: Datong and Nan'ao in Yilan, Xiulin/Wanrong/Zhuoxi in Hualien, and the listed Taitung Indigenous townships remain on weather `monitoring`; Haiduan separately has the road-blockage `transport / watch`.
Alert level: CWA currently lists no county under an active heavy or torrential rain advisory. ARDSWC currently lists zero red and zero yellow debris-flow alerts and zero red and zero yellow large-scale-landslide alerts. DGPA currently lists no work-or-class suspension. This scan found no Indigenous-area level-one inundation alert, rapid-stream-rise escalation, formal evacuation, shelter activation, transport-wide suspension, major agricultural-loss warning, or other public-service interruption escalation. If the site's overall `red` remains displayed, its only basis is the previously established Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency red alert inside the officially delineated Wanli River channel. The August 29 monitoring update says the natural dam remains intact, overflow is stable, effects remain confined to the channel, and no formal lifting notice has been found.
Recommended action: Do not enter the Meishankou-Xiangyang section until the Highway Bureau formally announces that it has been cleared or reopened, and follow real-time Highway Bureau road information. Do not enter the officially delineated Wanli River channel until its red alert is formally lifted. Other Indigenous areas remain under monitoring; any later heavy-rain, level-one inundation, slope-disaster escalation, road interruption, evacuation, or work/class suspension should be handled according to official notices.
Official notices govern.
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This English translation is based on the Traditional Chinese emergency brief and official updates from the Highway Bureau, Central Weather Administration, Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, Water Resources Agency, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, and relevant local authorities. It does not replace official notices.