"Chills over Jeongja-dong Bridge Collapse... It's the School Route for Elementary to High School Students"

Anonymous Jeongja-dong Resident, CBS Radio Interview
Yonsei University Professor "There Are 28 Such Bridges"

"When I heard the news about the Jeongja-dong bridge collapse and saw the photos, I was really shocked because it’s a place I pass by so often and am very familiar with."

A resident of Jeongja-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, who requested anonymity and is referred to as Mr. A, said this in a CBS radio interview on the 6th regarding the bridge collapse accident over the Tancheon in Jeongja-dong. One person died and another was seriously injured in the accident. The fact that the bridge collapsed in the middle of a busy downtown area adds to the shock.

In particular, the problematic bridge is reportedly used by students on their way to and from school.

Mr. A explained, "That place is near Jeongja Station, so there are a lot of people, I mean, there are many companies, apartments, and schools nearby. I think there are about seven elementary, middle, and high schools. So many students use that path to go to and from school."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mr. A added, "That area is also very close to the academy district. So I often saw groups of students crossing that bridge after school. It’s a terrifying thought to imagine what could have happened if it had collapsed during school commute times."

The accident occurred at 9:45 a.m., which is after the usual school start time on a weekday. Moreover, the rainy weather reduced the number of pedestrians, which helped minimize the number of victims. If the collapse had happened during school commute hours, it could have turned into a major disaster.

Mr. A expressed concern, saying, "Even though inspections are conducted, accidents like this still happen, so it’s really hard to trust the safety. I think the condition of other bridges might be similar. It feels like such incidents could happen anytime and anywhere, which makes me very anxious and worried. The fact that it was rated as normal is the most unsettling thing for us, even if inspections continue in the future."

Regarding this, Professor Kim Jang-ho of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University explained, "As far as I know, Seongnam City and Bundang-gu have about 28 bridges connecting Bundang and Pangyo. Regular inspections involve visually checking for cracks in the concrete or rust that turns red."

He mentioned that proper safety inspections are not being conducted due to budget issues.

Professor Kim explained, "Detailed inspections go a bit beyond visual checks, such as examining the lower parts of the bridge to see how much deformation has occurred. However, they do not use very precise methods like ultrasonic devices to check the condition of the internal rebar or take concrete cores to test for strength degradation."