Flooded River Just 5 Meters away from High-speed Rail Track 濁水溪河床遭沖刷塌陷 距高鐵橋墩5公尺

After days of consecutive rain, Changhua residents witnessed a 60-centimeter deep pothole on a road near the riverbank. As a high-speed rail bridge is just 5 meters away, they worry that it could affect the passengers' safety.

This should have been a road, but now turned into a 60-centimeter-deep, 20-meter-long pond. Utility poles, meanwhile, are listing to one side. Local residents are worried about the high-speed rail bridge nearby.

Local Resident:” The road is covered with water and uprooted grass. The foundation of the road has been washed away.”

Changhua has suffered from torrential rain for days. Water in Zhuoshui River rose rapidly and damaged a route near the riverbank, leaving just one narrow useable road. It was just 5 meters away from a pillar of the high-speed rail's elevated bridge.

Local Resident:” Water isn't coming this way from (the road), but all the produce in the area has been destroyed due to the amount of water.”

Chou Shu-juan, Public Relations Officer, THSR Changhua Station:” The foundation of the high-speed rail bridge is almost 70 meters deep, so the collapsed road and what's happening on the surface will not have any impact on the safety of high-speed rail operations.”

The high-speed rail says the foundation of the bridge is reinforced and high safety standards were used due to its proximity to Zhuoshui River. The 4th River Management Office also says the access road is only used for dredging and its collapse will not have any effect on the bridge.

Shih Yang-tung, Management Dept. Chief, 4th River Management Office:” We don't believe there are any safety issues. Our security patrol notified Taiwan Power to cut off power immediately after the river overflow.”

The office says after the access road flooded on Aug. 7, dredging operations were immediately suspended and a team was sent to inspect the bridge. However, repairs will have to wait until the weather stabilizes.

道路塌陷變成了大水池，深度大約60公分，長度20公尺。而底下石頭裸露，就連電線桿也傾斜，但最讓民眾擔心的，是高鐵的高架橋墩就在旁邊。

當地民眾：「草都蓋過來了，淹過柏油路，都漫過來，然後從下面擠過來(掏空)一直沖刷，就不行啦。」

連日豪大雨襲擊彰化，讓濁水溪水位暴漲，也讓位於溪州的河床便道被大水沖刷，現場塌陷範圍大，只剩下一小段路面可以通行。而距離高鐵的橋墩，最近的只有5公尺的距離。

當地民眾：「水從這裡(路面)過的機會很少，後來這裡的農作物，也損失慘重，水太大了。」

高鐵彰化站公關周淑娟：「高鐵橋墩下的基樁，再加上基礎，還有護土等等深入地底將近70米深，所以地表跟道路塌陷對高鐵營運安全是不會造成影響。」

高鐵強調，橋墩地基都經過強化，當地位在濁水溪河床，安全標準更高，並非只有靠河床土地支撐。而負責管理的第四河川局也指出，這條便道屬於疏濬工程使用，對高鐵橋墩不會造成威脅。

第四河川局管理課長 施陽東：「初步評估，還沒有安全上的疑慮。發生沖刷情形之後我們值班保全也馬上通知台電要斷電。」

四河局表示，7號發生便道被沖刷後，就派人監控橋梁安全，疏濬工程也暫停。將等待天候穩定後盡快修復。