Joint investigation launched into Shandong infrastructure project after quality concerns raised

A joint investigation has been launched into a major new infrastructure project in Shandong province after media reports over the quality of its construction, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission said on its official website that a task force comprising the provincial departments of housing and urban-rural development, transport, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission has been deployed to the project site for verification.

An independent third-party institution has also been commissioned to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the project's construction quality, the commission said, adding that the findings will be made public in due course.

The project in question is the Beidou high-precision smart monitoring system, which was contracted by Shandong Hi-speed Information Group. The system uses Beidou satellite navigation technology for real-time monitoring of landslides and slope hazards across the province, with the goal of enhancing transportation safety and supporting ecological conservation.

According to media reports, concrete bases for monitoring equipment along the Jinan-Weifang Expressway were found to be substandard. The reports said that in some cases, the concrete crumbled easily when broken by hand and fragmented into powder upon light tapping with a hammer, with some bases packed with crushed stones and covered only by a thin layer of cement mortar on the surface, falling far short of the strength standard specified in the design blueprints.