Yun Byeong-tae, Mayor of Naju, Inspects Najucheon Ecological Waterway Park Construction Site

Yoon Byung-tae, mayor of Naju City in Jeollanam-do, personally inspected the site of the Najucheon Ecological Waterway Park and conducted a comprehensive review of the project’s progress.

According to the city on the 7th, Mayor Yoon visited the area near Dongjeommum in Jungang-dong ahead of the peak summer heavy rains to check the progress of the Najucheon Ecological Waterway Park project and listen to residents’ difficulties.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae is inspecting the site of the Najucheon Ecological Waterway Park.
[Photo by Naju City]

The Najucheon Ecological Waterway project is one of the key priority projects of Naju City’s 8th term administration.

The goal is to restore the water quality and ecological environment of Najucheon, which runs through the old downtown area, develop it into a representative tourist attraction of Naju, and strengthen flood control functions to prepare for floods.

The core of the ecological waterway project focuses on river maintenance over a 3.07 km section from Gyeonghyeon-dong in Naju City to the confluence area of the Yeongsan River in Samdo-dong, maintenance of a 3.04 km section of interceptor pipes, reconstruction of 13 bridges, and expansion of the Cheongdong drainage pump station and retention basin.

The project secured 93.6 billion KRW in funding from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and construction began in December 2022, completing the multipurpose ecological plaza (parking lot) and curved water channels.

This year, in the first half, the city plans to expand the Cheongdong drainage pump station and retention basin and carry out river maintenance work from the school to Dongjeommum section, and in the second half, it will proceed with the reconstruction of five bridges including Namnae Bridge.

The entire project is scheduled for completion by November next year.

On the day, Mayor Yoon visited the construction site to receive reports on the project’s progress and future plans, checking the possibility of completion within the planned construction period, plans to maintain water depth in the river, utilization plans for existing stone embankments and Geumseong Bridge, creation of rest areas around the weir, and natural disaster response plans during the rainy season.

He also listened to residents’ opinions regarding the expansion of the bridge’s start and end points in front of Sewang Apartment, use of the temporary access road as a public parking lot, and securing sufficient bridge width.

Mayor Yoon said, “Please create a zigzag-shaped walking path that breaks away from monotony so that citizens and tourists can fully enjoy the charms of the old downtown area, ultimately revitalizing the old downtown.” He added, “Please actively consider local residents’ suggestions related to the ecological waterway park development going forward.”

Meanwhile, the city plans to create a natural-friendly space by establishing a freshwater biological habitat and fish spawning grounds in the ecological waterway park and enhance citizen accessibility by constructing a multipurpose ecological parking lot.

Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr

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