TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Hualien on Wednesday (April 3) triggered a landslide that quickly wiped out Xiaqingshui Bridge (下清水橋) on Suhua Highway (蘇花公路).

The sudden loss of the bridge unexpectedly revealed a Japanese colonial-era bridge adjacent to it that had been hidden for more than 50 years. Engineers deemed it stable enough to support steel reinforcements for a temporary bridge.

The collapse of Xiaqingshui Bridge was the most significant damage on Suhua Highway, bringing traffic to a standstill. As engineers began worrying about repairs, the older, parallel bridge, 10 meters in length, appeared.

In an interview with CNA, Highway Bureau Eastern Region Branch Office Deputy Director Chen Bai-cheng (陳柏成) said the old bridge was built in 1930. Due to the narrow nature of the bridge deck, the highway bureau decided to build a wider Xiaqingshui Bridge next to the older bridge.

Work was completed on the new bridge in 1971, and the smaller, Japanese-era bridge was abandoned. However, after the earthquake, it would be reborn as a temporary access road with a little ingenuity.

Engineers reinforced the older bridge with 20 I-beams stretching 12 meters on the bridge deck, enabling it to bear the weight of small vehicles. The bridge repair project was completed and opened to traffic at 6 p.m. on Saturday (April 6).

Only small vehicles with a weight of less than five tons will be allowed to pass. Crossings will be limited to just one hour at 7 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m. every day. 

Hualien County’s Cultural Affairs Bureau said the old bridge does not have protected cultural heritage status.