The day after the westbound tunnel was completed, Premier Yu Shyi-kun led a motorcade of 40 vehicles traveling with prominent members of Ilan's industrial and business community, as well a group of journalists, from Ilan along the 12.9-kilometer tunnel.
「這是歷史性的一刻，」工程人員表示，雪山隧道歷經十年八個月，克服無數次艱難挑戰、冒生命危險下完成，內心的興奮難以形容。隧道西行線貫通後二天，行政院長游錫 $ 率領宜蘭縣工商界及媒體人士乘坐四十部車輛，從宜蘭頭城穿越長達十二・九公里的雪山隧道。