Roads on Hehuanshan closed due to expected icy conditions

Taipei, Jan. 11 (CNA) A section of the provincial highway on Hehuanshan in central Taiwan was closed Saturday evening, as ice was expected to make it dangerous for motorists, according to the Highway Bureau.

The section of road on Provincial Highway No. 14A, from Tsuifeng at the 18-kilometer mark to Dayuling at the 41.5-km mark, will remain closed from 6 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. the following day, the bureau's Central Region Branch Office said in a news release.

However, motorists who were already in the mountains before the closure would be allowed to exit, the office said.

The section of highway, which is at an elevation of over 2,500 meters, was likely to become icy and slippery, due to a cold air mass that was bringing abundant moisture and sub-zero temperatures to the area, according to the office.

Meanwhile, two-way traffic on another section of road on Hehuanshan, between Wuling and Songxue Lodge, will be closed from 8 p.m. Saturday, the office said.

Depending on the weather and road conditions, the office said, it will decide whether to allow normal traffic on the mountain roads from 7 a.m. Sunday or to mandate snow chains on vehicle tires.