New bridge spectacularly collapses in China

Footage released by Chinese state media showed a section of the bridge near the mountain slope collapsing on Tuesday as a landslide ruptured the foundations. The approach bridge and roadbed disappeared into a plume of smoke as the structures plunged into the river. Construction of the bridge was finished earlier this year, according to a video posted by the contractor Sichuan Road & Bridge Group on social media. “Currently, there is no estimated timeline for the reopening of the highway,” the company said. The collapse will raise fresh concerns about the safety of China’s infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events, after a spate of recent bridge and road collapses. China has pursued a massive infrastructure agenda over the past decade, which has seen new projects built at a rapid speed across the country.