Preventing Frequent Flood Damage on Gimpo-Gangseo Road, Which Used to Flood When It Rained Heavily

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Improvement measures are set to be implemented for the road section from Gimpo-daero in Gochon-eup, Gimpo City, which has been flooded every rainy season for the past decade, to Gaehwa-dong-ro in Gangseo-gu.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Government Joint Civil Complaint Center announced on the 30th that it held a civil complaint consultation council at the Government Seoul Office with the participation of seven related organizations, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gangseo-gu Office of Seoul Metropolitan City, Gimpo City Hall, and Korea Rural Community Corporation.

The Government Joint Civil Complaint Center convened the consultation council by gathering seven related organizations and divided roles among agencies to prevent road flooding damage.

The consultation council is a consultative body where related organizations and external experts come together to find solutions for complex civil complaints involving multiple agencies.

First, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport decided to raise the roadbed by 90cm in the frequently flooded sections through pavement work to be completed by this year.

Gimpo City will inspect the sedimentation status of the riverbed from the flooded sections to Gulpocheon Stream annually to secure drainage channels. If necessary, it will actively cooperate by requesting drainage maintenance from the New Airport Highway and Korea Rural Community Corporation.

Gangseo-gu will continue to repair and manage the existing catch basins and drainage pipes to ensure proper surface water drainage.

Gimpo City and Gangseo-gu agreed to inform residents in advance about the road pavement work carried out by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and to jointly respond to civil complaints to ensure smooth progress of the construction.

The New Airport Highway and Korea Rural Community Corporation will excavate (bed dredging), inspect, and manage sediment deposits in their respective drainage channels and agricultural water channels.

Gangseo Road Office agreed to efficiently manage the flooded road sections by conducting pavement work on the Gimpo City section in conjunction with the Seoul section upon Gimpo City's request.

The ACRC Government Joint Civil Complaint Center plans to regularly monitor the progress and implementation status of the projects promised by the related organizations.

The section from Gimpo-daero 55-12-gil in Gochon-eup, Gimpo City to Gaehwa-dong-ro 8-gil in Gangseo-gu (National Route 48) has a roadbed lower than the surrounding area, making it prone to water accumulation.

Flooding has caused traffic inconvenience for residents due to surface water inflow from the construction of Subway Line 9 and Incheon Airport Expressway.

One of the causes was sediment accumulation in the 5km river section from the drainage channel of the flooded road to the final discharge point, Gulpocheon Stream in Gimpo City, which hindered smooth water flow.

In response, Gangseo-gu and Gimpo City installed catch basins and bypass pipes and conducted forced drainage using submersible pumps, but the road management authority was unclear as it is a boundary area between Gangseo-gu and Gimpo City.

Since road or river maintenance requires cooperation from multiple agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the New Airport Highway, fundamental problem resolution had been difficult.

Hwang Hoyoon, head of the Government Joint Civil Complaint Center, said, "The inconvenience residents have suffered from road flooding for a long time can now be resolved through the ACRC’s mediation and close cooperation among related organizations," adding, "It is very meaningful that the Government Joint Civil Complaint Center, newly launched last October, has been able to resolve major complex civil complaints involving multiple agencies through mediation."

Last October, the ACRC expanded and reorganized the existing Seoul Comprehensive Civil Complaint Office to open the Government Joint Civil Complaint Center at the Government Seoul Office to provide 'one-stop' consultation for all civil complaints from the public.

The Government Joint Civil Complaint Center handles general and grievance civil complaint consultations, online consultations, and resolves complex civil complaints involving multiple agencies through the civil complaint consultation council.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.