This structure was part of a strategic route to Tibet. Authorities are investigating a landslide that caused a section of new construction to collapse
Massive infrastructure construction has become almost a symbol of modern China. But in the mountainous interior of Sichuan province, one symbol of these ambitions became a warning. A landslide briefly collapsed part of the newly constructed Shuangjiang Liphongqi Bridge, which was built to integrate the road network into Tibet. The collapse was captured on video and widely shared on Chinese networks, showing entire slabs of concrete falling from the mountain, sending up a thick plume of dirt.
Surprisingly, there were no casualties, according to local authorities. And this did not happen by chance. The day before the fall, the technical team had already discovered cracks in both the pavement and the slope adjacent to the structure. The New York Times reported that Markan City Hall (Barkham in Tibetan name) closed the bridge as a precautionary measure, averting the worst-case scenario. However, on Tuesday afternoon, the landslide progressed, taking away access and decking in the affected sections along with the mud. Watch the video below.
This location is not ideal for creating large-scale works. Sichuan is a seismically active region, with a devastating earthquake in 2008 killing more than 69,000 people and leaving thousands missing. Since then, geological problems have triggered emergency alerts in the state, and the bridge collapse once again highlighted how rugged terrain can turn infrastructure projects into high-stakes games.
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