Highway safety control under extreme natural hazards in Taiwan has faced critical challenges because of latest extreme climates. Directorate General of Highways, DGH, has set up hazard control points according to the high risk potential locations with engineering and emergency recuse resources. In case of critical hazard events, emergency evacuation and responding retrofit could be quickly deployed. Such an active risk management process is aimed to have prompt mobilization for rescuing and restoring efforts. Critical rainfall indices of these control points defined based on historical hazard events including landslides, debris flows, and others are adapted for responding protocols. The mitigation preparation program is divided into three levels- early warning, warning, and action.

In an effort to install an active risk management system for mountain highway safety, following works had been taken: 1. High landslide potential sections of mountain highways were first identified by using historical hazard records, 2. Historical precipitation data were also analyzed to assess localized hazard triggering rainfall pattern, and, 3. Historical engineering data and retrofit cost were analyzed to evaluate possible consequences of mountain highway failure caused by landslides.

By combining the operation of both watershed management and active risk management, DGH have further improved its early warning scheme for highway hazard mitigation since 2010. Precaution of the coming hazard would start 2 days before the forecasted attacking day (D-day) of the tropical storms or typhoons.

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References

Men-Feng WU*, Chin-Fa Chen*, Wei F. LEE**, Kenji ISHIHARA Development and deployment of early warning system for highway safety under extreme natural

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