(Construction) - Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Tetsuo Saito expressed his renewed determination to promote a new policy on infrastructure maintenance at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on December 2.
With lessons learned from the accident killing several drivers and passengers because of the collapse of the ceiling plate at Sasago Tunnel of the Chuo Expressway 10 years ago, the ministry shifted the basic policy of stock management from post-operative maintenance to preventive maintenance. Minister Saito expressed his determination to thoroughly implement the concept of preventive maintenance with small municipalities in mind. He intends to develop detailed support measures both tangible and intangible.
 |
| Japanese Infrastructure Minister pledges to promote preventive maintenance |
Looking back on the Sasago Tunnel accident, "Such a tragic accident must never happen again, and must not be forgotten. MLIT will draw on the lessons learned from the accident and work with strong determination to address aging infrastructure throughout the country," said Minister Saito.
A council at MLIT presented a proposal for a new infrastructure maintenance policy to Minister Saito on the same day, advocating a new direction for strategic management for the revitalization of groups of regional infrastructure to spread the concept of preventive maintenance throughout the country. The new policy is to consider the entire stock of infrastructure within a certain area across multiple municipalities as a "group" and manage it in an integrated manner, complementing municipalities that lack budgets and technical staff due to population decline and aging populations. (2022/12/05)
The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan
Theo
