The bridge was recently closed to traffic Monday after cracks were spotted on roads and slopes.
GUIZHOU, China — A portion of a bridge in China collapsed Tuesday afternoon after a landslide, less than a year after opening to the public.
The Hongqi Bridge, built behind the Shuangjiangkou Dam in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, finished construction and opened to traffic in January.
The nearly 2,500-foot long bridge was closed to traffic Monday after cracks were spotted on roads and slopes. The next day, around 4 p.m. local time, a portion of the bridge collapsed into the mountainside. No causalities were reported, according to the South China Morning Post.
Social media video shows a large portion of the bridge near the mountains collapsing and turning to a pile of dust and leaving rubble along the mountainside. “Worsening conditions” on the mountainside prompted the cracks and eventual landslide, local government agencies told Reuters.
NBC News reports authorities in Sichuan are investigating the cause of the collapse.
Chinese government officials told the New York Times a detour was available, but couldn’t give estimates on how long repairs would take. There is no estimated time of the bridge reopening.
The bridge, built in China’s Sichuan province, stands 1,023 feet above river level. Despite it’s height, it’s still over 1,000 feet shorter than the world’s tallest bridge, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, built in neighboring province Guizhou, China.
Chinese officials intended for the bridge to help tourists and citizens navigate through the regions underdeveloped mountainous areas. It connected to a national highway that leads to Tibet. Construction completed in just 19 months and cost roughly $1.3 million, according to The Washington Post.
It sits behind the world’s tallest dam, the Shuangjiangkou Dam, which also just opened for use earlier this year.
