Japan to Subsidize Efforts to Prevent Collapse of Emergency Roads

   Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's infrastructure ministry will launch a subsidy project in fiscal 2025, which starts in April, to support the implementation of measures to prevent the collapse of emergency transport roads.
   The move comes after many roads built on piled-up soil collapsed due to a powerful earthquake that struck central Japan's Noto Peninsula in January 2024.
   Targeting expressway operators, prefectural governments and other road administrators, the ministry will intensively support collapse prevention measures for emergency transportation roads, which are essential for rescue operations and the transport of goods, with the aim of reducing damage in the event of disasters.
   According to the ministry, there were 28 locations where roads built on piled-up soil collapsed on a large scale following the 7.6-magnitude Noto Peninsula earthquake. Serious damage occurred in places including where shallow valleys had been filled in.
   In July last year, the ministry began nationwide inspections of roads constructed by piling soil 10 meters or more high and located in water catchment areas. It is closely examining places that require immediate measures by asking road administrators to conduct investigations.

(2025/02/12-14:34)

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