The government has identified 57 aging bridges across the country that require urgent safety measures but lack secured funding. In response, it will provide 2.1 billion won in emergency disaster safety grants to four bridges rated as E grade.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on July 31 that a joint safety inspection of aging bridges was conducted nationwide from June 23 to July 10, involving the ministry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, local governments, the Korea Infrastructure Safety Agency, and private experts from the Structural Engineering Society.
This safety inspection is part of measures to prevent a recurrence of the Seosomun overpass collapse that occurred in May. The inspection revealed that 57 bridges (four rated E and 53 rated D) require safety measures but do not have secured budgets.
The government plans to immediately allocate 2.1 billion won in disaster safety grants to the E grade bridges needing urgent action and will continue to support the D grade bridges in consultation with local governments.
Alongside budget support, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will enhance existing regulations in phases to prevent accidents during the processes of demolition, construction, and reinforcement.
In the initial bidding phase, the government will strengthen evaluations to select contractors with similar demolition experience. During the design phase, projects will be designated for safety reviews to assess risks in advance.
In the construction phase, safety management plans will be required, and work will proceed only after verification by professional structural engineers. If any anomalies are detected during work, operations will be halted immediately to observe structural changes for a sufficient period, utilizing advanced equipment such as drones and CCTV to ensure safety.
Additionally, the 'Seosomun Overpass Recurrence Prevention Task Force' (involving the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor) will continue to develop safety management improvement measures for demolition projects, based on the findings of the construction accident investigation committees regarding the Ulsan thermal power plant and the Seosomun overpass collapse.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung stated, “Through this joint inspection, we will swiftly support bridges that have been left in danger due to lack of funding and fundamentally improve safety management systems for the demolition of aging structures based on the lessons learned from the Seosomun overpass accident.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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