Improvement of High Traffic Accident Area in Front of Nanhyang Elementary School, Gwanak-gu

Since October last year, a total of 420 million KRW from district and city budgets invested in extensive maintenance... Ban on vehicles over 10 tons, installation of signal violation and speeding enforcement cameras, smart crosswalks, and full replacement of pedestrian safety guardrails

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has completed a major traffic safety facility improvement project on Nangok-ro, where traffic accidents frequently occurred due to large freight vehicles around Nanhyang Elementary School, with a budget of 420 million KRW from the district and city since October last year.

The maintenance section covers approximately 800 meters from Nanhyang Samgeori on Hoam-ro, Gwanak-gu to the Nanhyang-dong bus garage.

This road is curved in an S-shape and has a steep slope, causing seven accidents last year alone where large freight vehicles, due to speeding or overloading, drove onto the sidewalk and collided with street trees and buildings, raising significant concerns among residents.

In response, Gwanak-gu held a meeting last October with parents of Nanhyang Elementary School and residents, where Mayor Park Jun-hee personally attended to discuss the issues of Nangok-ro and devise comprehensive improvement measures together with the community.

As a result, starting November 1, 2019, the district completely banned the operation of freight vehicles over 10 tons on Nangok-ro, the main cause of traffic accidents, to preemptively eliminate risk factors, and installed seven large LED traffic guidance signs to inform about vehicle operation restrictions.

Additionally, with the cooperation of the police station, continuous guidance and enforcement are being conducted.

Furthermore, to effectively prevent traffic accidents by encouraging compliance with traffic laws such as reducing speed near the crosswalk in front of Nanhyang Elementary School, the following were installed: ▲ vehicle signal violation and speeding enforcement cameras (CCTV) ▲ new yellow traffic lights ▲ red anti-slip pavement markings indicating a school zone (3 lanes x 100m) ▲ smart crosswalks (ground-level traffic lights and pedestrian signal voice guidance).

Considering past traffic accident patterns where freight vehicles mounted sidewalks and struck street trees, 1,600 meters of vehicle impact and collision prevention guardrails were installed to ensure pedestrian safety even if dump trucks encroach onto the sidewalk.

Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, “The roads around Nanhyang Elementary School had been a concern for parents due to steep slopes and curved road shapes causing frequent traffic accidents, but I am glad that swift improvements were possible through smooth cooperation with related agencies and residents. Moving forward, we will prioritize maintenance of high-accident areas and strive to improve the traffic environment to build Gwanak-gu into a leading traffic city.”