(Construction) - In the wake of the earthquake that struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture on February 13, the government agencies and the construction industry have been engaged in emergency response.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuyoshi Akaba instructed the officials to "make every effort to respond to the disaster" while paying attention to measures against COVID-19. A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit northern Japan at 11:08 p.m. on February 13. The Japanese seismic intensity scale of the earthquake was strong 6.0 in Soma City and other areas, and the 6 to 1 scale were recorded in a wide area from Hokkaido to the western part of the country.
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| Infrastructure Ministry responding to powerful earthquake-hit Northern Japan |
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism held a meeting of the disaster response headquarters twice on the next day in Tokyo to confirm the status of the emergency responses. According to MLIT, as of February 15, three landslides had been reported in Miyagi, Fukushima and Akita prefectures. Cracks were found on embankments on five rivers managed by the national government, and the emergency measures have been completed.
A 70-meter-wide slope collapsed on Joban Expressway, in Soma City. Debris were cleared on the night of the next day so that emergency vehicles were able to pass, but the road was still closed on the affected section as of 3:00 p.m. on the 15th. Minister Akaba said at the at the committee of the House of Representatives, "We would like to open the expressway to the public by the middle of this week.” Restoration work is also underway on the Tohoku Shinkansen, which has been suspended due to damages on utility poles. (2021/02/16)
The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan
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