Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Announces Joint Expert Inspection Results on Road Near Naeseong Underpass, Confirms Low Risk of Ground Subsidence and Launches Continuous Monitoring Measures

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, convened a joint on-site inspection meeting involving related agencies and expert groups to address public concerns regarding the Manduk-Centum Expressway section and announced the inspection results.

According to the detailed on-site inspection conducted on May 20 by the 119 Emergency Civil Engineering Rescue Team, including soil and geological experts from the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam branch, the likelihood of incidents such as ground subsidence severe enough to threaten the safety of passing vehicles was found to be extremely low.

Experts officially diagnosed the site as exhibiting “compression-induced residual settlement,” a phenomenon in which unevenly compacted ground following excavation and backfilling gradually compresses over time, and stated that “the possibility of ground subsidence accidents threatening the safety of passing vehicles is extremely low.”

In addition, the Korea Authority of Land and Infrastructure Safety under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted detailed Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys and inspections. The final report confirmed that “there are no suspected cavities within the construction impact zone,” scientifically verifying the structural safety beneath the ground.

As part of traffic safety measures, the City plans to continuously manage the pavement surface to maintain road smoothness. Since even minor residual settlement can cause impact noise and vehicle bouncing when speeding vehicles pass over the surface, thereby increasing public anxiety and inconvenience, a mobile speed enforcement camera with a speed limit of 50 km/h will be installed at the site to manage vehicle speeds.

To monitor pavement displacement and other conditions continuously, the frequency of upper-level 3D laser scanning measurements will be significantly increased from once a week to twice a week on alternating days in order to track and manage even minute changes.

In preparation for the rainy season and heavy rainfall, additional Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys will be conducted immediately after rainfall to prevent possible minor settlement caused by fluctuations in water levels. Real-time monitoring will also be linked with nearby underground observation wells and the groundwater level of Oncheoncheon Stream.

The City also plans to complete final full-scale repaving work after the stabilization of the ground fully converges, ensuring proper longitudinal and transverse gradients as well as effective stormwater drainage, in accordance with recommendations from the expert group.

Furthermore, based on current monitoring results showing that residual settlement along sections of Suyeong Riverside Boulevard has partially stabilized, the City will carry out repaving work from 9:00 p.m. on May 29 to 6:00 a.m. on May 30 during nighttime hours to minimize inconvenience to citizens and proactively resolve concerns at an early stage.

Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk stated, “We will make every effort in road safety management by proactively detecting even the slightest signs and ensuring that citizens do not feel anxious.”