The landslide disaster that occurred on the 23rd at K3404 on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in Mangkang County, Tibet, formed a barrier lake, leading to a complete traffic interruption. The clearance is extremely difficult, and it is estimated that the road will not reopen for at least another 15 days. The Fourth Brigade of the Armed Police Traffic Force, responsible for emergency repair and road maintenance on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, specifically reminds self-driving tourists traveling in and out of Tibet to avoid the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
According to Chen Jun, commander of the Fourth Brigade of the Armed Police Traffic Force who is directing the clearance operation at the blocked site, nearly 100,000 cubic meters of landslide debris cascaded down from the mountainside across the highway, accumulating into a fan-shaped dam spanning over 220 meters, 60 meters wide, and up to 30 meters high. This dam cut off the river along the highway, forming a barrier lake that is 150 meters long, 60 meters wide, and over 30 meters deep. More than 100 meters of the roadbed has been directly buried by the dam of the barrier lake, while over 400 meters have been washed away or submerged. The water level of the lake is more than 3 meters higher than the original roadbed, making it impossible for clearance machinery to approach the dam to carry out flood discharge operations. The clearance task is extremely challenging.
Chen Jun said that currently 60 soldiers and six large construction machines have been deployed, but the weather at the clearance site has not improved, and the soil on the mountainside across the highway is loose, making it highly likely that further landslides could occur. If no new hazards emerge at the disaster site, it is estimated that it will take at least 15 days to restore vehicle passage.
It has been learned that traffic control points have been set up by transportation authorities respectively in Batang County, Sichuan Province, and Mangkang County, Tibet, along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. During the clearance period, all vehicles, large and small, passing through the disaster-stricken section will be unable to proceed. To avoid disrupting travel plans, the Fourth Brigade of the Armed Police Traffic Force specifically advises self-driving tourists traveling in and out of Tibet to avoid the Sichuan-Tibet Highway for the time being, and consider using the Qinghai-Tibet Highway as an alternative route to and from Tibet.
