Sancheong-gun Begins Reconstruction of Old Goeupgyo Bridge with 8 Billion Won Investment

Saengchomyeon Residents' Long-Awaited Wish, Scheduled for Completion by the End of 2023
Linked with International Sculpture Park, Revitalizing Local Economy

A small bridge under the road of the Goeupgyo Reconstruction Project in Saengcho-myeon, Sancheong-gun is Goeupgyo (Photo by Sancheong-gun)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 21st that it will invest a budget of 8 billion KRW, including national funds, to start construction on the reconstruction project of the aging Goeupgyo Bridge, a long-awaited project for the residents of Saengcho-myeon.

Goeupgyo Bridge is a bridge at the Saengcho Interchange on the Daejeon-Tongyeong Expressway in Saengcho-myeon, completed in 1988.

Having been installed for over 30 years, it has a low load capacity and narrow width, causing inconvenience for residents' passage.

Currently, Goeupgyo Bridge operates as a two-lane bridge with a width of 7.0 meters, and it was constructed as a grade 2 bridge from the beginning, with a load capacity of only 32 tons.

Because of this, large freight vehicles cannot enter from the Saengcho-myeon area to National Road No. 3 Saengcho Intersection and the Saengcho IC on the Daejeon-Tongyeong Expressway.

As the expressway and national road are connected, the increase in large vehicle traffic has raised safety concerns, exposing local residents to accident risks.

To improve this, the county has been promoting detailed design since 2018 and will begin construction this year.

The construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, with a total project cost of 8 billion KRW (7.52 billion KRW in national funds and 480 million KRW in local funds).

The Goeupgyo Bridge reconstruction project is being promoted in connection with the Saengcho International Sculpture Park, which is emerging as a new local tourist attraction along with the Flower Moss Festival.

The county expects that once the road construction for National Road No. 1034 from Sinwon to Saengcho, currently undergoing widening and expansion, is completed, the reconstruction of Goeupgyo Bridge will positively improve traffic flow in the area and revitalize the local economy.

A county official said, “The newly built Goeupgyo Bridge will not only facilitate smooth traffic between the Saengcho International Sculpture Park, which attracts many visitors every spring, and the expressway interchange, but also help eliminate accident risks. We will strive to complete the project as soon as possible to minimize residents' inconvenience and ensure smooth progress without setbacks.”