Ghostbuster Dispatched to Eradicate Underground Phantom Sinkholes

Ulsan City Conducts 31.9km Ground Survey on Metropolitan Roads

‘Ground Penetrating Radar’ Deployed on 4 Routes Including Sanup-ro

Preventing Road Sinkholes in Advance... 87 Sites Identified Over 5 Years

‘Ghostbuster’! A project to detect and eliminate hidden ‘ghost’ sinkholes (road collapses) beneath the roads is underway in Ulsan.

The Ulsan Metropolitan City Comprehensive Construction Headquarters announced that it will conduct ground investigation services on metropolitan roads from April to July this year.

This service is designed to prevent sinkhole accidents, caused by aging underground buried facilities beneath roads and groundwater level drops after large excavation works, in advance.

The investigation targets are roads with heavy large vehicle traffic: San-eop-ro, Onsan-ro, and Duwang-ro, as well as Bangojin Sunhwan-ro, an intersection area with frequent subsidence complaints. The total length of the investigation section is 31.9 km.

Ground investigation vehicle equipped with GPR equipment.

The ground investigation method first involves collecting three-dimensional roadbed information using an exploration vehicle equipped with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Then, a detailed investigation is conducted on suspicious sections, followed by final confirmation and repair of sinkhole areas through drilling and endoscopic methods.

Issues that can be immediately addressed based on inspection results will be repaired promptly through the road pavement contractors, while those requiring budget and time will first undergo safety measures and then be reported to the respective underground facility management entities or maintained independently.

Lee Hyung-woo, head of the Comprehensive Construction Headquarters, said, “Sudden road subsidence can lead to vehicle damage and casualties,” adding, “We will continuously promote roadbed investigations using advanced technology for preventive inspections and repairs to establish a safe and three-dimensional road management system.”

Since 2017, Ulsan City has conducted ground investigations on metropolitan roads spanning 354.4 km across 43 routes, discovering and repairing 87 cavities.

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