Shin Sang-jin, the mayor of Seongnam, stated, “I will take full responsibility for the safety of the citizens.” The city of Seongnam announced on December 1 that it had completed the restoration of 18 Tancheon bridges following the precise emergency safety inspections conducted after the pedestrian section collapse of the Jeongja Bridge in 2023.
Immediately after the Jeongja Bridge accident, the city conducted emergency precise safety inspections on 19 Tancheon crossing bridges with a similar structure, excluding Imae Bridge, which was newly constructed and completed in 2016. The inspections determined that one bridge needed complete reconstruction, two bridges required repairs and reinforcement, two bridges needed the cantilever sections removed, and 14 bridges required the installation of new pedestrian bridges after removing the cantilever pedestrian sections. The city has been undertaking restoration work in stages based on these findings.
The cantilever structures, which were the fundamental cause of the accident, have been completely removed, and more robust steel pedestrian bridges have been installed. In particular, road crack repairs, reinforcements, and road resurfacing have been carried out to implement the highest level of safety measures possible. By 2024, repairs, reinforcements, and the removal of cantilevers on four bridges have been completed, and restoration work on 14 bridges, excluding the Sunae Bridge, which is subject to complete reconstruction, has been sequentially completed this year. The construction of the Sunae Bridge is currently underway, with completion aimed for July 2027.
After completing the bridge restorations, the city plans to further enhance its urban safety level by strengthening regular safety inspections and systematic maintenance. To ensure more rigorous safety management, the city will elevate its own safety inspection standards by one level for bridges over 20 years old, resulting in older bridges undergoing structural safety inspections based on more stringent criteria. Mayor Shin Sang-jin expressed satisfaction with providing a safer pedestrian environment following these restorations and ensured ongoing prioritization of citizen safety.