In July 2024, the Yanping No.2 Bridge on the Danning Expressway in Zhashui, Shaanxi collapsed under flash flooding, causing heavy casualties. The State Council investigation report published in 2025 identified the flood as the main cause while also noting weaknesses in design and routine management. In its aftermath, the Ministry of Transport launched a nationwide bridge hazard screening and rectification campaign, noticeably lifting demand for bridge monitoring and inspection.
Across the ocean, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship in March 2024, killing six workers. The event put vessel-collision warning and structural resilience on the international agenda, prompting many countries to reassess protection and monitoring of bridges over navigable waters.
Online monitoring cannot stop extreme events, but it provides three critical assets: a health baseline (the structure's normal "ECG"), early warning (signals of damage evolution) and post-event evidence (a complete data chain before the incident). That is why every important bridge deserves an online monitoring system.
Sources: publicly released State Council investigation report and major media coverage.