The provincial highway authority had been planning a link through the mountains since 1950, and had surveyed the route, but the project had been shelved due to the enormity of the task and lack of funds.
早在民國三十九年，省公路局早有橫貫台灣、越山修路的計畫，但經歷數次的探勘，終因工程浩大，經費無著，只得作罷。