Gwangju's 'Baegun Overpass' Disappears into History

Gwangju City to Demolish Baegun Overpass on June 4

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Baegun Overpass in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, will disappear into history after 31 years.

Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 20th that it will control Baegun Overpass starting from the 4th of next month after relocating obstacles around Baegun Square and securing additional lanes for the demolition of Baegun Overpass.

Opened in November 1989, Baegun Overpass is 385.8 meters long and 15.5 meters wide, serving as a bridge connecting the city center from Baegun-dong to Juwol-dong.

At the time of construction, Baegun Overpass was inevitably built with steep slopes and sharp curves due to the Gyeongjeon Line railway, causing frequent traffic accidents and congestion. It not only impaired the urban aesthetics but also negatively affected the growth of surrounding commercial areas, leading to continuous demolition demands from nearby residents.

Reflecting these points, Gwangju City decided last year to simultaneously promote the ‘Daenam-daero Alignment Improvement Project in front of Nam-gu Office’ and the ‘Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 Phase 1 Construction Project’ to reduce budget and minimize citizen inconvenience.

Accordingly, the overpass structure will be demolished by November, and the urban railway and underground road will be constructed by 2023.

To commemorate the disappearance of Baegun Overpass into history and pledge safe demolition, Gwangju City will hold a ceremony at the site at 3 p.m. on the 4th of next month when the demolition begins.

The ceremony will be held under the theme “Adieu! For a New Path” with the attendance of Mayor Lee Yong-seop and local residents, proceeding with a demolition commemorative tape-cutting and a Baegun Overpass walk.

Before the ceremony, Gwangju City will complete securing additional lanes for citizens during the demolition, transplanting trees, and relocating obstacles. In addition, traffic management considering site conditions and construction characteristics, such as periodic changes to surrounding signal systems and allowing left turns, will be implemented to minimize citizen inconvenience.

An Joo-hyun, head of the Urban Railway Construction Headquarters, said, “Once the overpass is demolished and Urban Railway Line 2 and the underground road are constructed, traffic inconvenience will be greatly alleviated, and issues such as traffic safety and urban aesthetics impairment will be resolved.” He added, “During the construction period, please actively use detour roads to prevent traffic congestion.”

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