TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Parts of Hualien County’s scenic Taroko National Park will require seven years of work before they can be reopened to the public, officials said Saturday (June 22).

The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit the region on April 3 caused massive damage to the national park, causing rockslides and destroying roads and bridges. Work to repair the park will take until 2031 and cost NT$3 billion (US$92.64 million), per CNA.

The worst-affected areas include the Swallow Grotto and the Shakadang Trail. A family of five died buried by falling rocks on the trail during the quake, while a couple from Singapore were never found and are believed to have died in the area.

During a visit by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to Hualien County on Saturday, national park officials explained that emergency work, including the repair of roads linking Indigenous villages, came first. Some popular travel destinations such as the Tunnel of Nine Turns, Tianxiang, and Buluowan could be reopened to visitors later this year.

Cho promised he would visit Hualien each month to inspect the progress being made on the reconstruction projects. The government would also consider holding a hearing with local residents, he said.