Won Hee-ryong: "Replace Fire Hazard Materials in Soundproof Tunnel by March Next Year"

On the morning of the 6th, Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, inspected the restoration status of the section affected by the fire accident in the soundproof tunnel on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway, which occurred in December last year, at the Seoul Regional Land Management Office.

Minister Won Hee-ryong of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is inspecting the restoration status of the soundproof tunnel fire accident section on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway at the Seoul Regional Land Management Office on the 6th. / Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The accident occurred on the afternoon of December 29 last year in the soundproof tunnel at the Galhyeon Overpass on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway in Galhyeon-dong, Gwacheon-si. The fire, which started from a 5-ton waste collection truck, burned a 600m section of the total 830m-long soundproof tunnel. As a result of this accident, 45 vehicles were completely destroyed by fire, and 5 fatalities were found inside 4 vehicles. The number of injured reached 41.

Currently, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is controlling traffic in the fire-affected section and has established a "Soundproof Facility Fire Safety Enhancement Plan," which includes a comprehensive replacement of soundproof tunnels nationwide that have a high risk of fire.

Minister Won stated, "Many citizens are experiencing inconvenience due to traffic control in the accident section, so it is necessary to reopen the road as soon as possible," and ordered, "Thoroughly carry out safety-related procedures such as inspecting the safety status and reinforcing structures, but simplify administrative procedures to open the road as quickly as possible."

He added, "To prevent similar accidents from happening again, we will complete the replacement of combustible material soundproof tunnels by March next year and steadily implement the fire safety enhancement plan so that citizens can use the roads with peace of mind, paying special attention to this matter."

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