TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Floodwaters from the Mataian River spilled over onto Provincial Highway 9 in Hualien County, cutting off the main route through the East Rift Valley.

CNA reported Tuesday that both directions of the highway near the 231-kilometer mark had been shut down after the road was submerged. Police said part of the temporary road was washed away, and officers were checking if the culvert bridge had been destroyed.

The highway authority said the road closure started at 4:30 p.m. Monday between kilometer marks 228.5 and 236.5. Workers have brought in heavy equipment and extended the northern control point by 2.4 kilometers to keep people away from danger.

Hualien County Government said all vehicles and pedestrians are banned from entering the flooded stretch. It also closed several township and mountain roads, including routes in Wanrong, Yuli, and Fuli, as a precaution.

Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said the riverbank road on both sides of the Mataian River was partly destroyed by floodwaters. He added that repair crews will move in as soon as the water recedes and promised to fix the road in the shortest possible time.