Almost 7,100 Bridges, Tunnels In Japan Remain Unrepaired For More Than 5 Years - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2022) More than 7,000 bridges and tunnels in Japan have not been repaired for more than five years due to budget cuts and labor shortages, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday.

Local authorities are required to inspect bridges and tunnels every five years after a fatal tunnel collapse a decade ago, the broadcaster said.

The broadcaster studied the data of the infrastructure ministry for March and came to the conclusion that out of 740,000 bridges and tunnels in the country, repairs have not been carried out at 7,041 locations for more than five years.

According to the report, 33,390 bridges and tunnels were also left untouched, although they were marked as urgently needing repairs.

At the same time, 34% of bridges and tunnels in Japan were built more than 50 years ago, and in 10 years there will be 59% of such locations, the broadcaster added.

In December 2012, the Sasago Tunnel in the Yamanashi Prefecture collapsed and three vehicles were buried under the rubble. As a result of the tragedy, nine people died. The main reasons for the collapse were the dilapidation and deterioration of the structure. Later it turned out that for 35 years since the construction of the tunnel, the fixing bolts had never been changed, and preventive checks were carried out without the use of specialized equipment.