South Cross-Island Highway Still Closed Aug. 31; Lidao Reopens and Wanli River Moves to Monitoring
Original Chinese title: 南橫8/31仍不開放：海端利稻恢復通行，萬里溪改列monitoring
The Highway Bureau announced at 16:26 on August 30 that the rockfall at Provincial Highway 20, 170K+400 in Lidao, Haiduan, had been cleared and both directions reopened at 16:00. Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105 from Meishankou to Xiangyang will still remain closed on August 31, so Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan remain transport / watch. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's national-forest disaster and barrier-lake monitoring system now shows zero barrier lakes under alert and three under monitoring; Wanli River is therefore monitoring, not red.
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20:06 Update: Lidao Reopens; Wanli River Moves to Monitoring, While the South Cross-Island Highway Remains Closed Aug. 31
Information time: August 30, 2026, 20:06.
Official sources: Highway Bureau; Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency National Forest Disaster Response and Barrier Lake Monitoring System; Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency; Central Weather Administration; Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation; Water Resources Agency disaster information service; Directorate-General of Personnel Administration; and relevant local authorities.
Indigenous areas affected: The Highway Bureau announced at 16:26 that the rockfall at Provincial Highway 20, 170K+400 in Lidao, Haiduan Township, Taitung, had been cleared and both directions reopened at 16:00, ending the specific road interruption at that location. However, Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105, 0K-44K from Meishankou to Xiangyang, is officially scheduled to remain closed on August 31. Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan therefore remain `transport / watch`, not `red`. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's National Forest Disaster Response and Barrier Lake Monitoring System now shows all three barrier lakes under monitoring and zero under alert; Wanli River is therefore `monitoring` and must no longer retain the previous channel `red` label.
Nationwide regional scan: North: Wulai, Fuxing, Jianshi, Wufeng, Nanzhuang, and Tai'an have no active county-level heavy/torrential-rain grade on the CWA advisory page in this scan, and no new severe-thunderstorm, level-one inundation, slope-disaster escalation, road interruption, evacuation, shelter activation, work/class suspension, or major public-service interruption was identified; 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, slope-disaster escalation, evacuation, work/class suspension, or major public-service interruption; Taoyuan remains `transport / watch` because Meishankou-Xiangyang remains closed on August 31. East: Datong and Nan'ao in Yilan, Xiulin/Wanrong/Zhuoxi in Hualien, and the listed Taitung Indigenous townships remain under monitoring except that Haiduan retains `transport / watch` for the August 31 Meishankou-Xiangyang closure. The Lidao 170K+400 interruption has ended, and Wanli River is now `monitoring` under the Forestry system.
Alert level: The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's barrier-lake monitoring system currently shows zero sites under alert and three under monitoring. At 14:40 on August 30, Wanli River's water level was 1,087.26 meters with storage of about 5.3536 million cubic meters; forecast 12-hour and 24-hour rainfall remained below alert-issuance thresholds, the natural dam remained intact, the river was not blocked, overflow was stable, and impacts remained confined to the channel. Wanli River must therefore no longer be displayed as `red` in this update. CWA's heavy/torrential-rain advisory page currently shows no active county grade, and DGPA's 19:54:59 update says work and classes are as usual nationwide today. This scan identified no new Indigenous-area level-one inundation, formal evacuation, shelter activation, debris-flow or large-scale-landslide alert escalation, or other major public-service interruption.
Recommended action: Provincial Highway 20 at Lidao 170K+400 is open again, but travelers should continue to follow Highway Bureau real-time road information. Meishankou-Xiangyang remains closed on August 31, so travel between Taoyuan and Haiduan should be adjusted according to official traffic controls. Wanli River is now `monitoring`; follow subsequent Forestry monitoring and any on-site controls, and do not present it as a red alert.
Official notices govern.
16:06 Update: Rockfall Blocks Both Directions of Provincial Highway 20 at Lidao, Haiduan
Information time: August 30, 2026, 16:06.
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 13:44 that a rockfall at Provincial Highway 20, 170K+400 in the Lidao section of Haiduan Township, Taitung, occurred at 12:52 and blocked both directions. The Guanshan Public Works Section dispatched machinery for emergency clearance, but intermittent heavy rain and continuing rockfall were slowing the work. The official notice originally estimated normal traffic would resume at 17:00. Until a formal reopening notice is issued, the Lidao location remains `transport / watch`, not `red`. Separately, Provincial Highway 20 temporary route 105, 0K-44K from Meishankou to Xiangyang has already been announced as closed throughout August 31, so the existing South Cross-Island Highway `transport / watch` for Kaohsiung Taoyuan and Taitung Haiduan continues.
Nationwide regional scan: North: Wulai, Fuxing, Jianshi, Wufeng, Nanzhuang, and Tai'an have no county under an active CWA heavy/torrential-rain advisory in this scan, and no new severe-thunderstorm, level-one inundation, slope-disaster red/yellow escalation, road interruption, evacuation, shelter activation, work/class suspension, or major public-service interruption was identified; 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 Meishankou-Xiangyang section will remain closed on August 31. East: Datong and Nan'ao in Yilan, Xiulin/Wanrong/Zhuoxi in Hualien, and the listed Taitung Indigenous townships have no other new major official change found; Haiduan remains `transport / watch` because of the new Lidao rockfall blockage plus the existing South Cross-Island Highway control.
Alert level: ARDSWC's current alert list remains at zero red and zero yellow debris-flow alerts and zero red and zero yellow large-scale-landslide alerts. This scan found no new Indigenous-area level-one inundation alert, formal evacuation, shelter activation, or work/class suspension. CWA currently lists no county under an active heavy or torrential rain advisory. 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. 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 Lidao section at Provincial Highway 20, 170K+400 until the Highway Bureau formally announces reopening, and adjust travel according to real-time Highway Bureau road information. The Meishankou-Xiangyang section will also remain closed on August 31. Do not enter the officially delineated Wanli River channel until its red alert is formally lifted. Other Indigenous areas remain under monitoring.
Official notices govern.
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.