A massive Chinese bridge that had only been open for a few months collapsed this week
Authorities said the 2,487-foot-long Hongqi Bridge in southwest China, which was built to connect Sichuan province with Tibet, had been closed to traffic a day earlier, according to NBC News.
On Monday, local officials noted cracks in the ground, triggering an emergency response, according to Newsweek.
Vehicles that were on the bridge were removed, and it was blocked off to traffic.
The collapse took place on Tuesday, spewing dust and dirt high into the air as it tumbled amid a landslide.
No injuries were reported in the collapse.
The Hongqi Bridge failure comes weeks after another major Chinese bridge disaster.
In August, 12 workers were killed and four others were listed as missing after a railway bridge in Qinghai province collapsed while it was under construction.
In July 2024, at least 11 people died in a bridge collapse, NBC noted.
The most recent collapse “raised concerns about long-term construction standards, particularly in China’s western provinces, where major transportation projects often traverse unstable terrain,” Newsweek wrote.
🚨 Dramatic Bridge Collapse in China 🇨🇳
The Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan collapsed after warning signs — landslides, rockfalls, and visible surface cracks.
Thankfully, early geotechnical and structural monitoring detected the issue a day before, leading to its closure and preventing… pic.twitter.com/oorhV40meK— Frontlineflex (@Frontlineflex) November 12, 2025
The site said “China’s retreat from large-scale infrastructure investment” is leading to questions about quality.
“Once known for pouring trillions of dollars into roads, railways, and airports to fuel growth, Beijing has recently faced scrutiny over declining quality control and the construction of projects in geologically unstable regions,” Newsweek reported.
A recently opened bridge in China’s mountainous southwest partially collapsed Tuesday. Parts of the 2,487-foot Hongqi Bridge crumbled within seconds around 4 p.m. local time.
There were no reports of casualties. https://t.co/XGMVxzb07x pic.twitter.com/TRtjLrG6Gf
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 12, 2025
Chinese authorities generally ascribe infrastructure disasters to natural causes.
However, safety experts question whether enough attention is paid to risks in areas of seismic activity.
As noted by NBC, the region where the most recent collapse took place, Sichuan, is a very active region for earthquakes.
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