Terrifying moment China’s brand new 2,500ft bridge collapses into river just weeks after opening
Shocking images captured the moment a newly built bridge in Southwest China dramatically collapsed, causing huge concrete blocks to fall into the river below.
The 2,487-meter-long Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan province was closed by police in the city of Maerkang on Monday after cracks appeared on nearby hillsides and roads.
The conditions of the mountain slope to which the structure is attached deteriorated, leading to landslides that affected the integrity of the bridge.
Construction of the Hongqi Bridge, which connects the center of the country to Tibet via a national highway, was completed at the beginning of this year.
There was no loss of life in the incident.
Video of the collapse shows the tranquil view of the mountain range and sparkling river disrupted as clouds of dust rise from the bridge’s debris.
The images also show concrete slabs falling on top of each other down the mountain and into the water.
Thick clouds of dust covered the area where the bridge was located a few seconds ago.
The 2,487-meter-long Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan province was closed by police in the city of Maerkang on Monday due to cracks appearing on nearby hillsides and roads.
The conditions of the mountain slope to which the structure was attached deteriorated, causing landslides and causing the bridge to collapse.
More than half of the white stone bridge remained standing.
As the dust settled, the destruction began to show, with piles of rubble appearing on the mountain slopes.
Authorities in Sichuan are still investigating the cause of the collapse. NBC News.
The Hongqi Bridge was completed in approximately 19 months, according to the local government’s website. Washington Post.
A similar project in the USA is in St. It was the nearly half-mile Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge in St. Louis.
The design of the US bridge took two years to develop and construction took four years and was completed in 2014.
Interestingly, the Hongqi project cost only $1.3 million, while the Stan Musial, which is only 90 meters taller, was around $239 million.
Construction of the Hongqi Bridge, which connects the center of the country to Tibet via a national highway, was completed earlier this year.
However, St. The bridge in St. Louis celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
Bridge collapses in China have been an ongoing problem in recent months and years. Workers lost their lives when the Sichuan-Qinghai railway collapsed on August 12.
Another construction incident occurred in 2024 during floods when a highway bridge in Shaanxi province partially collapsed, killing 11 people.
But China has made significant strides in its infrastructure, including the addition of the world’s highest bridge this year.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, which opened in June, is less than three kilometers long but will reduce travel time across the gorge from an hour to a few minutes.
Located 2,050 ft above river level, it will be almost 656 ft taller than the Empire State Building.
Floating over the Beipan River, the engineering marvel will allow drivers to reach hair-raising heights as they cross the 22,000-ton bridge.
Work began in 2022 on the ambitious project to create a highway connecting Liuzhi and Anlong districts in southwestern Guizhou Province.
Three years later, at a cost of $283.4 million, officials hope the completed bridge will boost tourism and the local economy.
Apart from being the highest bridge in the world, it is also the world’s largest span bridge with a width of 4,650 ft, built in a mountainous region.
The region, whose 92.5 percent of its territory is covered by mountains and hills, has built nearly 30,000 bridges since the late 1970s and is now home to almost half of the world’s 100 highest bridges.
