One of Taiwan's most beautiful roads has reopened
 

Taiwan's Southern Cross-Island Highway has reopened to the public following a 13-year closure.

The highway, which was popular with tourists as well as locals due to its route through rural, scenic parts of the island, was devastated by a typhoon in 2009. More than 90% of the road was damaged and 22 bridges were washed away.

More than 5,800 vehicles entered the highway on the first day of opening, according to Taiwan's Directorate General of Highways. That is good news for the visitor-deprived island, which has lost out on tourist revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The highway reopened to car and motorbike traffic on May 1, 2022, just in time for the busy Labor Day holiday weekend, when many Taiwanese travel locally.

The reopening has been a long time coming.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/taiwan-southern-cross-island-highway-reopens-intl-hnk/index.htm

Comprehension

What highway in Taiwan has reopened to the public?
Why did the highway close in 2009?
Aside from roads, what else was washed away in because of the typhoon?
When did the highway reopen?
How many vehicles have entered the highway on the first day of the opening?

Discussion

Would you feel safe driving on the newly reopened highway?
What do you think is the way to make the roads and bridges indestructible?
How can you prepare for a typhoon?
What can the government do to have more tourists again?
What else can be a tourist attraction in a country?
How can you promote your tourist attractions in your country?

Vocabulary

Route - a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination
Devastated - destroy or ruin
Deprived - not having the thing
Revenue - total income produced