Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Landslide Triggers Collapse of Newly Opened Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan

Authorities closed the G317 span a day earlier after detecting cracks, a precaution they say prevented casualties.

Overview

  • Police shut the 758-meter bridge on Nov. 10 after cracks and terrain shifts were observed on slopes above Maerkang.
  • On Nov. 11, worsening mountain deformation triggered landslides that tore away the approach and roadbed, plunging a large span into the river.
  • Officials report no injuries and have cordoned off the site, rerouting traffic and monitoring nearby sections.
  • Local and provincial authorities attribute the failure to slope instability and have launched a technical investigation into any engineering or site-selection factors.
  • Completed earlier in 2025 by Sichuan Road & Bridge Group near the Shuangjiangkou hydropower project, the G317 link to Tibet is now under heightened scrutiny as viral videos circulate and unconfirmed reservoir-related theories spread online.