Featured Image Credit: Quiet_Highlight_4531 / Reddit
There's no denying China's ability to think on its feet and its truly admirable construction skills, but after a tragic accident claimed five lives on the country's so-called 'floating bridge', there were questions about why it hadn't happened sooner.
Even though the likes of China's Sichuan-Tibet Highway, the Karakoram Highway that it shares with Pakistan, and Taiwan's Taroko Gorge Road are frequently named as some of the most 'dangerous' roads in the world, at least they have solid foundations.
We've already seen how China is willing to build roads around houses if people refuse to move, so did you really think a bit of water was going to get in the way of finding the shortest route from A to B?
Originally constructed in 2016, Huebei's Shiziguan floating bridge has been described as both beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
Allowing traffic for vehicles weighing up to 2.8 tons in one direction, the Shiziguan floating bridge spans 500 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, including German technology to prevent rollovers.
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Refered to as the 'Long Bridge of Dreams', the bridge can impressively hold up to 1,000 people at once, and with the speed limited to a gentle 12 mph, you're supposed to have an experience similar to a water strider dancing on the surface.
Although there had been no previous deaths, the Global Times confirmed in 2023 that five people lost their lives when a vehicle crashed over the edge of the structure and into the Qingjiang River.
A 'multi-purpose vehicle' carrying eight passengers is said to have crashed through the railing, with traffic quickly being suspended on the bridge.
The local authorities explained how three of those in the vehicle managed to swim to shore after it plunged into the waters, but sadly, the other three weren't as lucky. Footage has since circulated, showing a medium-sized van causing severe swaying as it drives onto the bridge, soon careening over the edge, and the back of it remaining out of the water before it's fully submerged.
Over on Reddit, others were shocked by more recent clips of the bridge in action, with the OP joking, "Not even the rivers are safe from car infestation."
Responding to the footage, one person got plenty of agreement when they wrote: "Looks cool, should've been for pedestrians and bikes only tho."
Another concerned traveler added: "This would be super awesome actually if cars were banned from it."
After others called out the potential environmental impact of having a bridge in a sensitive ecosystem like the middle of a river, a third concluded: "Speedy way to put all those tire microplastics and exhaust directly into the river."
Still, with the deadly incident on the Shiziguan floating bridge looking like an isolated incident, it still attracts thousands of visitors every year.
