Photo: TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP / Getty Images
A newly-reopened 758-meter bridge on the G317 national highway in southwest China’s mountainous Maerkang region collapsed yesterday afternoon, mere months after opening to traffic.
According to state media, the structure showed visible cracks in its road surface and slope the day before the failure, resulting in temporary traffic controls. No casualties were reported, and authorities have launched an investigation, citing possible geological instability at the site.
Constructed by the state-backed Sichuan Road & Bridge Group to boost connectivity to the Tibetan Plateau, the bridge’s abrupt collapse raises concerns about engineering oversight in remote regions.
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