Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen requested central disaster-relief funds on Wednesday after a hillside collapse severed a two-lane mountain road that trucks use to carry Dongshi pears and highland vegetables to city wholesale markets.
No injuries were reported when saturated soil slid across Taiwan Route 132 near Fengshi at dawn, but engineers said the remaining pavement could fail if more rain hits the ridge this week. Lu toured the site with agriculture officials and said farmers already face higher fuel costs from detours exceeding 40 kilometers.
Impact on farmers and traffic
The Dongshi Farmers’ Association said roughly 120 metric tons of pears were stuck in cold storage because refrigerated trucks could not reach packing houses before market opening hours. Wholesale prices for premium pears rose NT$8 per kilogram in Taichung markets on Tuesday as buyers anticipated shortages, though supplies from other counties partially filled the gap.
Passenger buses were rerouted through a narrower forestry road with weight limits, forcing schools in the district to delay classes by 30 minutes. The transportation ministry dispatched portable traffic signals but warned that night driving remains hazardous until guardrails are replaced.
Repair timeline and funding
City engineers plan to stabilize the slope with pinned mesh and rebuild one lane within ten days if weather cooperates. Lu’s relief request includes overtime pay for crews and subsidies for farmers who document spoiled loads with county inspectors.
The Executive Yuan’s disaster panel said it will review the application under the same framework used for typhoon road grants, though legislators from the area argued landslide seasons now require a standing budget line rather than ad hoc approvals.
Weather outlook
The Central Weather Administration forecasts intermittent showers along the central mountain range through Sunday, keeping soil moisture high. Geologists on contract with the city recommended monitoring cracks on a nearby retaining wall that supports a tea farm access path.
For residents, the immediate question is whether pears reach supermarkets before the Mid-Autumn gift season ends. For policymakers, the slide is another reminder that mountain logistics hinge on single corridors that fail when one slope gives way.
Opposition response
City council members from the opposition bloc asked why retaining-wall inspections along Route 132 were deferred in the spring budget. Lu’s office released maintenance logs showing a contractor completed vegetation clearing in July but did not perform borings after a minor slide in August, a decision the mayor said she has ordered reviewed.
Wholesale buyers at the Fengyuan agricultural market said they will accept smaller pears marked storm-damaged if farmers provide county inspection tags, a voluntary grading program the agriculture bureau will pilot for two weeks.