During the inauguration ceremony, Premier Yu Shyi-kun declared that once the expressway is fully open for traffic by the end of next year, it will reduce driving time between Taipei and Ilan to just 30 minutes from the current two-and-a-half hours, and will greatly contribute to the economic development of Ilan and eastern Taiwan.
行政院長游錫 $ 在貫通慶典時強調，北宜高明年底一定全線通車，屆時台北至宜蘭的行車時間將從二個半小時縮短為三十分鐘，大幅促進宜蘭及東部地區的經濟發展。