Relocation of Utility Poles on Gwanak Elementary School Commute Route

Gwanak-gu Significantly Improves Pedestrian Environment with Old Sidewalk Renovation and Braille Block Installation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) announced that it has significantly improved the walking environment by replacing the old sidewalk blocks near Gwanak Elementary School, installing tactile paving blocks, and relocating utility poles that were in the middle of the school route to the edge of the sidewalk with the cooperation of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and KT.

In the middle of the sidewalks at Cheongnyong 4-gil and Ssukgogae-ro 13-gil northeast of Gwanak Elementary School, five KEPCO poles and six KT poles were prominently installed, causing continuous complaints from elementary students and residents due to inconvenience in passage.

In particular, the risk of accidents was high for elementary students, whose reaction times are relatively slower than adults, and visually impaired people who walk along the tactile paving blocks. Despite the pathway connecting to the public parking lot, such poor walking conditions persisted.

In response, the district took proactive measures instead of leaving the issue unattended. The 150-meter section of the old sidewalk on the northeast school route of Gwanak Elementary School was replaced, and tactile paving blocks were installed where the utility poles had been to improve the walking environment.

Additionally, with the cooperation of KEPCO and KT, two of the eleven utility poles were removed, and the remaining nine essential poles were relocated to the edge of the sidewalk where they would not obstruct passage, creating a comfortable walking environment for elementary students and residents.

Concrete poles that had cracks and were tilted were completely replaced with safe and high-strength steel pipe poles, resulting in a visually much cleaner street.

Mayor Park Junhee said, “I am very pleased that the walking issues that had not been resolved until now have been addressed, creating an environment where elementary students can safely and comfortably commute to and from school,” and added, “I also express my gratitude to KEPCO and KT for their active cooperation.”

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