Major Infrastructure Shock: Hongqi Bridge Collapses in China

On Tuesday, a newly-opened bridge (Hongqi Bridge) collapsed in southwestern China, increasing new fears of the risks of infrastructure, particularly in geologically vulnerable areas. The 758-metre building belongs to one of the main roads connecting the central China and Tibet.

The Chinese officials reported that the Hongqi Bridge:

had shown observable evidence of slope deformation and fractured ground on the right-bank side of the bridge the day before the collapse. Monday afternoon saw traffic stopped after the cracks were discovered. Tuesday afternoon, the approach section of the bridge and the roadbed were collapsed by a landslide that was occasioned by the deterioration of the mountain conditions. No reports of casualties are being made currently.

• This Hongqi Bridge was recently completed and located on a gorge of the path of the National Highway G317 in Maerkang City in Sichuan Province.
location. The location is close to the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, located in a mountainous area, and has a difficult terrain.
Officials stressed the susceptibility of the slopes, as opposed to structural design flaws occurring instantly, however, the investigation is ongoing.

The following risks may be highlighted by the collapse of the Bridge:
• The development of infrastructure at a high rate in regions that are easily affected by geological instability can become even more dangerous.
• Slope changes and detection of terrain movement can be life-saving—it might have saved lives the fact that the cracks have been visible a day before.
• The accident can lead to increased investigation of safety controls in massive engineering projects in China.

A case study has been initiated to know the underlying causes of this accident: whether it is entirely geological or engineering/design. The government is yet to offer a schedule as to when the section of highway will be reopened. In the meantime, traffic is being rerouted and emergency surveillance of the slope and infrastructure being done.
This failure follows rising concerns on the infrastructure safety in China.

Although the Bridge failure is not the lethally fatal, it attracts the interest of such phenomenon of bridge collapse China and Chinese bridge collapses in the region where infrastructure is being developed at a high rate. Due to all these factors, the collapse of Bridge is likely to be a part of the future lives of the review of the westward infrastructure push in China.

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