Yeosu City Promotes Construction of Pedestrian Bridge Connecting Dinosaur Island Sado and Nangdo

On the 6th, Basic Plan Service Contract Issued for Sado~Nangdo Pedestrian Bridge Construction "Gathering Expectations"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Yeosu City (Mayor Kwon Oh-bong) announced on the 6th that it has commissioned a basic plan study for the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting Sado and Nangdo, islands famous for dinosaurs.

The construction of a pedestrian bridge between Sado and Nangdo, which is expected to bring revolutionary changes to the lives of island residents and the activation of wellness tourism content, has attracted attention regarding whether it can be implemented as soon as the commission was announced.

The duration of this study is six months, and once a company is selected, the results are expected around August.

The city plans to establish a basic plan for the pedestrian bridge installation, including proposing the optimal route through on-site surveys and resident consultations, as well as the basic development concept, and to obtain cultural heritage alteration permits.

The construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting Sado and Nangdo was also pursued in 2005.

In 2005, Jeonnam Province decided to create a Sado-Nangdo tourism cluster according to a research study on 'Island Tourism Resource Development Projects,' which included the construction of a pedestrian bridge between Sado and Nangdo.

Accordingly, Yeosu City began construction in December 2005 with a project worth 6.8 billion won, but the Cultural Heritage Administration denied the alteration permit in 2007, citing that large-scale artificial structures within 500 meters of the dinosaur fossil protection zone boundary were undesirable, and the construction was halted.

A private investment plan in 2011 was also denied an alteration permit for similar reasons.

Since the opening of National Route 77 Hwayang-Jeokgeum land and island bridges in February last year, ushering in a golden age of island tourism, residents of Hwajeong-myeon have requested the construction of a pedestrian bridge to improve residential inconvenience and emergency situations, leading to renewed discussions starting in September last year.

A city official stated, “Even if the construction section increases, we plan to proceed with the study in a way that minimizes damage to cultural heritage, and since the project is conditional on obtaining a cultural heritage alteration permit, the project may be canceled depending on the study results. If the pedestrian bridge between Sado and Nangdo is constructed, it is expected to greatly improve the living environment and vulnerable accessibility of Sado residents and become a strong asset for the 2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo.”

Meanwhile, Yeosu Sado, famous for dinosaur fossils and bizarre rock formations, is designated as Natural Monument No. 434, preserving over 4,000 dinosaur footprint fossils, including the longest known dinosaur trackway in Korea measuring 84 meters, and is highly valued for its preservation.

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