Recently, netizens revealed that cracks have appeared on the Anci Expressway from Changde to Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province. Local authorities have confirmed the authenticity of this issue. The related road was opened to traffic at the end of 2021.
Netizens recently reported that cracks have appeared on both sides of the road at the 77-kilometer mark of the Anci Expressway in Hunan. Pictures show multiple cracks on the asphalt surface of the expressway, with some cracks suspected to be over one meter in length.
On May 6th, Jiemu News reported that personnel from the Changde City Transportation Bureau confirmed the existence of cracks on the Anci Expressway as circulated on the internet, with the affected section near the Shimen segment.
When asked about the reason for the cracks, the staff member said, “It rained quite heavily.”
Netizens questioned the official explanation, believing that the quality of the road was substandard. People commented, “Shoddy workmanship, case closed.” “How did such shoddy workmanship pass inspection?” “Behind every shoddy project are a group of corrupt individuals.” “Mending the cracks will take another three years.” “It rained heavily, this basically means… are they going to build a rain shelter on the road?”
Some people also said, “The Meida Expressway incident is not over yet, and now this?” “Lives are at stake, a thorough investigation is necessary.”
According to the aforementioned report, traffic police personnel in Changde stated that the Shimen segment of the Anci Expressway has been closed in both directions, starting from the toll station in Shimen County, and the relevant section needs to be detoured.
Public information shows that the Anxiang to Cili Expressway is an important part of the “Seven Vertical and Nine Horizontal Three Ring Roads” expressway network planned by Hunan Province, with a total investment of 10.251 billion RMB. On December 31, 2021, the Anci Expressway, which took three years to build, was officially opened to traffic.
This expressway is the main artery connecting Hangrui Expressway, Eguang Expressway, Changzhang Expressway, and five counties (cities) in the north of Changde and Zhangjiajie City, passing through Anxiang, Jinshi, Lixian, Linli, Shimen, and Cili in Changde City and Zhangjiajie City.
Earlier on May 1st in the early morning, a landslide and collapse occurred on the Meida Expressway in Guangdong, resulting in at least 48 deaths and 30 injuries. The section where the accident happened was constructed by a state-owned enterprise and was not even ten years old. Following the incident, the public expressed great anger and demanded severe punishment for those responsible for shoddy construction projects.
(Previously reported:
Guangdong collapsed road section built by state-owned enterprise less than ten years ago, public demands accountability)