Seongnam City Enhances Public Safety by Completing Restoration of 18 Tancheon Bridges

Mayor Shin Sangjin Vows to Ensure Citizen Safety Until the End
Only Sunae Bridge Remains Under Complete Reconstruction

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sangjin) announced on December 1 that it has completed restoration work on all 18 Tancheon bridges, which had been underway following the results of an emergency detailed safety inspection after the Jeongja Bridge sidewalk collapse in 2023.

Seohyeon Bridge site where the footbridge was newly constructed and the roadway repaving was completed. Provided by Seongnam City

Immediately after the Jeongja Bridge accident, the city conducted an emergency detailed safety inspection on 19 Tancheon crossing bridges of the same structure, excluding Imae Bridge, which was newly constructed in 2016, out of a total of 20 Tancheon bridges. The inspection concluded that one bridge required complete reconstruction, two bridges needed repair and reinforcement, two bridges required removal of cantilever sections, and 14 bridges needed the sidewalk (cantilever) sections removed and new pedestrian bridges installed. Based on these findings, the city proceeded with a phased restoration project.

Seongnam City completely removed the cantilever structures, which were identified as the root cause of the accident, and installed new, more robust steel pedestrian bridges. In particular, the city also carried out repairs and reinforcement of roadway cracks and repaved the road sections, implementing the highest level of safety measures possible within the applicable scope.

In 2024, repair, reinforcement, and cantilever removal were prioritized and completed on four bridges. This year, restoration work on the remaining 14 bridges, excluding Sunae Bridge, which is scheduled for complete reconstruction, was finished sequentially. Construction on Sunae Bridge is currently underway, with completion targeted for July 2027.

Mayor Shin Sangjin of Seongnam stated, "Since the unfortunate accident, we have focused all of the city's resources to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. I am pleased that the completion of these restoration projects will provide citizens with a safer pedestrian environment, and I will continue to prioritize citizen safety and fulfill my responsibilities to the end."

Even after the completion of bridge restoration, Seongnam City plans to further enhance urban safety by strengthening regular safety inspections and systematic maintenance. In particular, to ensure stricter safety management, the city will raise its own safety inspection standards, upgrading the inspection grade for bridges in service for over 20 years by one level. As a result, older bridges will undergo structural safety inspections under these reinforced criteria.

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