Directorate General of Highways wants another archeological team to work on Suhua Highway project

• Report rights infringement
• published: 29 Nov 2015
• views: 109

A project to improve the Suhua Highway was originally scheduled for completion in 2019, with one section stretching from Nanao to Heping to be completed in 2018. Since then, construction work has uncovered Neolithic artifacts from the Hanben Culture, which has caused delays. Should more artifacts be uncovered, construction could be further delayed till 2020. Recently, the Directorate General of Highways has sought another archeological group to assist with a dig triggering resentment from the current archaeological team associated with Academia Sinica. This is the section of the Suhua Highway upgrade project that stretches from Nanao to Heping. Construction work has uncovered traces of the Neolithic Hanben culture. Construction in this area was originally expected to be completed by 2014, however the discovery of these artifacts has led to a delay lasting till 2018. Should more archeological finds be uncovered deeper in the ground, there could be even more construction delays. Fu Kun-chiHualian County CommissionerWe attach great importance to archaeology, but we put more emphasis on human life. This is a humanitarian issue and we hope that all of Taiwan’s 23 million citizens can benefit from safe roads that can take them home. The Directorate General of Highways is also looking for a new team to manage this archeological dig to allow the road to be completed by 2018. This action has drawn strong criticism from Academia Sinica’s archaeological team.Shau How-jei Suhua Improvement Engineering Director We are taking into account the progress of the project as well as the cultural importance of this sight. We are planning to entrust the western portion of Provincial Highway 9 to this other (archeological group) to help us.Liu Yi-chang" Academia Sinica Archaeological Team When we signed the original contract, we didn’t know the area would become so large. I hope that we can achieve a balance between the necessity to protect cultural assets as well as achieve some of the goals associated with this construction project.Liu said it would be a shame to lose a part of Taiwan’s cultural heritage just because the government was rushing to complete a construction project.