A construction accident on August 22 at the Jianzha Bridge over the Yellow River in northwest China has left 12 workers dead and four missing.
According to China Daily a steel cable failure caused a 108m steel girder arch rib to collapse, with the Ministry of Emergency Management promptly dispatching a team to oversee rescue operations. A full investigation is now underway.
The bridge is being constructed to carry the Sichuan - Qinghai high-speed line over the Yellow River in the mountainous Jainca county in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province. It is 1596m long, with the deck 55m above the river surface level and the longest span measuring 366m. It is the first steel truss arch railway bridge to cross the river.
The Sichuan - Qinghai HSL, previously known as the Chengdu - Lanzhou HSL after the two most important termini stations on the route, takes take a westerly and more direct route between Chengdu and Lanzhou and Xining to the northwest than the current routing.
At present, services leave Chengdu to the northeast, travelling via Guanyuan and Longnan in Sichuan province, before approaching Lanzhou from the east and then proceeding to Xining. The new route will fork to enable a Lanzhou approach from the west, and Xining from the east.
The southern section from Chengdu - Huangshengguan HSL is already in use, and the full line is expected to be operational in 2027.
