Nowon-gu Conducts Subsurface Void Investigation to Prevent Road Surface Subsidence

[Seoul District News] Nowon-gu Conducts Joint Survey on District Roads (354 km) Using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) & Rapid Repair After Drilling at 202 Expected Joint Points from August ... Dongdaemun-gu Establishes Customized Sidewalk Maintenance System for Systematic and Efficient Management ... Dongjak-gu Expands Sidewalk at Heukseok-ro Intersection ... Jungnang-gu Organizes Web-like Overhead Wires in Muk-dong and Junghwa-dong ... Eunpyeong-gu Offers Free Vehicle Inspection on 25th to Ensure Safe Chuseok Homecoming

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is conducting an underground void investigation beneath road surfaces to prevent road subsidence accidents.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Underground Safety Information System, a total of 1,028 subsidence cases have occurred nationwide since 2018, with 70 cases reported in Seoul alone.

Additionally, due to changing climate patterns in Korea such as prolonged monsoon seasons and heavy rainfall in summer, the possibility of subsidence accidents caused by soil erosion is increasing.

Since June, the district has been investigating the presence of voids beneath the road surface along a total of 354 km of district-managed roads accessible to vehicles.

First, data is analyzed using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) equipment, and suspected locations are selected for confirmation through drilling and endoscopic inspection. If voids are detected, small-scale cases will be immediately repaired, while larger cases will undergo additional excavation investigations to identify the responsible underground facility managers for prompt restoration.

The district completed GPR surveys on managed roads in July and has been conducting drilling investigations and restoration work at 202 suspected sites since August, aiming to complete the work by the end of this year.

The district identifies the main causes of subsidence as ▲ inadequate management of groundwater and soil leakage during excavation work, poor design or construction, insufficient groundwater level control ▲ damage due to aging underground facilities in use, poor compaction of soil around underground facilities, and damage caused by nearby construction.

To address these issues, the district has organized an underground safety management team and maintains an emergency contact system. It establishes an annual underground safety management plan, inspects the safety status of underground facilities, and carries out emergency repairs when necessary. Furthermore, areas with high subsidence risk are designated and announced as priority management targets to ensure public safety.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, “We are conducting underground void investigations to protect the lives and property of residents from the increasing subsidence accidents,” adding, “We will strive to alleviate residents' concerns through proactive measures so they can live safely and securely.”

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) is advancing pedestrian walkway management with a customized maintenance system for systematic and efficient sidewalk upkeep.

To efficiently allocate the limited budget assigned for sidewalk maintenance, the district has developed a tailored sidewalk management improvement plan that avoids uniform overall repairs and considers sustainability and the degree of aging of sidewalk structures.

Moreover, going beyond the “10 Commandments for Sidewalk Blocks” promoted by Seoul City, the district has established a representative slogan, “Safe Sidewalk High Five,” to implement five practical plans: weed removal on sidewalks, promotion of sidewalk catchphrase slogans, prevention of water pooling in crosswalk gutters, bus stop markings, and reuse of curbstones.

“Safe Sidewalk High Five” consists of friendly messages: ▲ Cleanliness ? Goodbye to weeds on sidewalks ▲ Participation ? Our district’s sidewalk catchphrase ▲ Comfort ? No more water pooling in crosswalk gutters ▲ Marking ? This is a bus stop ▲ Reuse ? Don’t discard intact curbstones, fostering public consensus.

To ensure project effectiveness, the district will select pilot sections to conduct trial maintenance and test construction (“Safe Sidewalk High Five”) in the second half of this year, followed by evaluation, analysis, and improvements before full-scale implementation next year.

Dongdaemun District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung said, “We have developed a customized sidewalk management improvement plan to safely manage sidewalks within the limited budget,” and added, “We will continue to explore various measures to create a pedestrian-centered advanced sidewalk environment.”

Heukseok-ro Intersection Sidewalk Expansion Construction (After)

Dongjak-gu (District Mayor Park Il-ha) announced the completion of sidewalk expansion work at the Heukseok-ro intersection to ensure pedestrian safety and prevent illegal parking.

The Heukseok-ro intersection (the five-way intersection in front of the Heukseok-dong rainwater pumping station) was a frequent site of illegal parking, exposing many residents to safety risks and causing traffic inconvenience, leading to numerous complaints.

In response, the district conducted sidewalk expansion work based on residents’ feedback, converting the illegally parked road section into a sidewalk.

▲ Sidewalk width expanded from 2m to 5m ▲ Sidewalk section extended by 20m ▲ Installation of fences, bollards, and no-parking signs to prevent illegal parking at the source, enabling pedestrians to walk comfortably and safely.

A local resident, Mr. Kim, said, “This was a place with a high risk of traffic accidents due to illegally parked vehicles, but since the construction, the risk has decreased and the sidewalk has become wider, which is great.”

The district also plans to continuously maintain sidewalks that threaten residents’ safety due to aging or damage through patrols and listening to residents’ complaints.

Dongjak District Mayor Park Il-ha said, “We will continue to do our best to create a convenient and safe walking environment through active on-site inspections.”

Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will carry out a concentrated overhead line maintenance project in the Muk-dong and Junghwa-dong areas by the end of this year.

The project involves organizing or removing tangled overhead cables. The district plans to neatly maintain defective overhead lines that spoil the cityscape and inconvenience residents, thereby improving aesthetics and ensuring residents’ safety.

This year’s focused maintenance areas are near Mukdong Jeil Church in Muk 1-dong and near Jungnang Middle School in Junghwa 1-dong. Due to facility aging and various cable entanglements, residents have strongly requested priority maintenance. A total of 799 utility poles and 249 communication poles along a 32.7 km section will be maintained.

The maintenance project will be conducted by a joint maintenance team consisting of Korea Electric Power Corporation and seven telecommunications companies. They will remove broken or sagging wires within the section and organize tangled abandoned and diagonal wires. Maintenance work will also be carried out on service lines connected to buildings and houses.

Jungnang District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “During overhead line maintenance, inconveniences such as vehicle parking restrictions, workers accessing building rooftops, and temporary communication interruptions may occur, so we ask for residents’ understanding and cooperation,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to protect residents’ safety and create a pleasant urban environment through systematic maintenance projects.”

Meanwhile, since 2013, the district has annually selected concentrated overhead cable maintenance zones and maintained defective overhead lines. Last year, it maintained 395 utility poles and 316 communication poles along a 17.29 km section in Sangbong 2-dong and Mangu Bon-dong.

Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that it will conduct a free vehicle inspection on the 25th to help residents travel safely to their hometowns ahead of Chuseok.

The event is organized to prevent accidents caused by vehicle breakdowns such as engine overheating and tire punctures that may occur during long-distance driving during the holidays.

About 100 mechanics belonging to the Seoul Automobile Professional Maintenance Business Association (CarPos) Eunpyeong Branch will volunteer to support the inspections.

The inspection will take place on Jinhung-ro road, about 50 meters from Exit 1 of Yeokchon Station toward E-Mart Eunpyeong, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 25th. The inspection targets 200 vehicles including passenger cars, vans, and cargo trucks under 1 ton, excluding commercial vehicles.

The inspection includes basic checks of the engine, chassis, and electrical systems, along with on-site education on vehicle management and safe driving practices.

Services such as checking and replenishing various oils, replacing lubricants and consumables, changing bulbs and fuses, and checking tire air pressure will be provided to offer practical free inspection services to many residents.

For smooth event operation, the Western Police Station and Yeokchon Police Substation will control traffic on part of Jinhung-ro.

Eunpyeong District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, “I hope this inspection will help ensure a safe and comfortable journey home.”