Installation in vulnerable areas such as hills, curved roads, and frequent freezing zones
281 Seoul road heating cables installed, expansion planned by 2024
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As a heavy snow warning has been issued for Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi areas, concerns about traffic safety during the evening commute are rising. Local governments are expanding the installation of road heating systems to cope with snow accumulation and ice on roads in preparation for such situations.
On the 15th, the heavy snowfall in Seoul and northern Gyeonggi gradually subsided by noon. The Korea Meteorological Administration advised that roads in snowy areas may be slippery due to ice, urging drivers to exercise extra caution for traffic safety. They also warned pedestrians to be careful as snow accumulation and icy patches are expected on side streets, alleys, and sloped roads.
Vehicles’ braking ability tends to decrease on icy roads, so special caution is necessary. According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority, there were 4,932 traffic accidents caused by icy roads over the past five years, with 73.2% (3,610 cases) concentrated in December (1,627 cases) and January (1,983 cases). During this period, 122 fatalities occurred, resulting in a fatality rate (number of deaths per 100 traffic accidents) of 2.5. This is about 1.5 times higher than the overall traffic accident fatality rate of 1.6.
The road with installed road heating cables near the Geumho 2 and 3 ga-dong Community Service Center in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seongdong-gu Office
Road heating systems are gaining attention as a countermeasure to prevent icy road surfaces. These systems install electric heating wires beneath asphalt pavements and automatically melt snow when snowfall is detected, functioning as a smart automatic control system. Compared to calcium chloride, which poses risks of facility corrosion and environmental pollution, road heating is more eco-friendly.
Each local government is installing road heating systems on vulnerable sections such as hills, curved roads, and areas prone to frequent icing to ensure safety on snowy roads. Currently, there are 281 road heating locations installed within Seoul city, and the plan is to expand these systems by 2024 to eliminate vulnerable snow removal sections such as hills and curved roads within the city.
Daejeon City is also operating road heating systems on five sloped roads vulnerable to icing. Jeju City installed road heating on Jungang-ro and Gosan Hill last year and added heating systems on Donam-ro and Goma-ro roads this month.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and raised the crisis alert level from 'Interest' to 'Caution' following the heavy snow warning. The Central Disaster Headquarters instructed that all available resources be mobilized to thoroughly carry out snow removal operations on sections vulnerable to snow accumulation and icing to ensure smooth vehicle traffic.
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