Sinsangjin, Seongnam Mayor, Requests Declaration of "Special Disaster Area" for Dangerous Bridges

Seong Sang-jin, Mayor of Seongnam City, is holding a press conference on the 24th.

The city of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, following the 'Jeongja Bridge pedestrian walkway collapse accident,' has decided to demolish and reconstruct the pedestrian walkways of 16 bridges crossing the Tancheon Stream. On the 24th, the city also requested the government to designate Seongnam as a special disaster area to address structural issues in the region's aging infrastructure.

Mayor Shin Sang-jin stated at a press conference held at City Hall to announce the 'Emergency Detailed Safety Inspection Results of 14 Tancheon Bridges' that "The current situation in Seongnam, where numerous bridges built over 30 years ago are old and dangerous, is no different from a disaster area," adding, "Rapid administrative and financial support from the government is necessary to ensure the safety of citizens."

Earlier, on the 5th, following the Jeongja Bridge pedestrian walkway collapse accident, the city conducted detailed safety inspections in two phases by the 21st on 18 of the 20 Tancheon bridges, excluding the Jeongja Bridge (completed in 1993), where the accident occurred, and the most recently constructed Imae Bridge (completed in 2016).

Based on the first phase safety inspection results, the pedestrian walkways of four bridges?Sunae, Buljeong, Geumgok, and Gungnae Bridges?were found to have sagging conditions rated as 'D' (poor) or 'E' (very poor) according to road bridge design standards. The city decided to demolish and fully reconstruct these walkways.

Following the second phase safety inspection, the pedestrian walkways of ten bridges?Sasong, Yatap, Hatap, Bang-a, Seohyeon, Baekhyeon, Dolma, Migeum, Gumi, and Ori Bridges?were found to exceed the allowable sagging limit by up to 14.5 times, with ratings of 'D' or 'E.' Including Hwangsaeul Pedestrian Bridge and Yanghyeon Bridge, which received a 'C' rating, the city decided to fully reconstruct a total of 16 bridges.

The city estimates that more than 150 billion KRW will be required for the demolition and reconstruction of pedestrian walkways on 17 Tancheon bridges, including the Jeongja Bridge where the accident occurred.

Mayor Shin emphasized, "The first-generation new town, including Bundang, and all infrastructure were constructed under government leadership. Even after more than 30 years, the government's role in ensuring public safety remains unchanged," urging, "Do not leave the aging infrastructure issues, which are like time bombs, solely to local governments. The government should expedite its support."

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