Park Byung-gyu, Mayor of Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated regarding the suspension of the Usan District stormwater detention facility construction, “We will respond in two directions: prompt resumption and cause investigation,” and added, “We will do our utmost to ensure residents' safety in preparation for the heavy rains during the summer season.”
On the 29th, Mayor Park held a meeting with journalists in the situation room on the 2nd floor of the district office and announced the direction and plans for major pending issues.
Mayor Park explained, “The core reason for the suspension of construction was safety issues,” and said, “During the process of burying the concrete structures manufactured at the factory underground, there was insufficient space to operate the crane, causing delays in the schedule. We also discovered that the upper slab covering the structure was sagging by about 5cm to 7cm.”
He continued, “Since this upper slab is planned to be used as a road and buffer green space after completion, we could not proceed with the construction as it was, so we decided to suspend the construction,” and added, “Safety is irreplaceable, so I believe it is right to identify the core cause, secure safety, and then resume construction.”
Regarding the response process after the suspension, he said, “We held several meetings with the design company and supervision team and prepared several reinforcement plans to receive opinions from the technical advisory committee,” and “At the end of last year, we established a disaster prevention project team and assigned specialized public officials to strengthen administrative power over the detention facility construction.”
Mayor Park stated, “We will finalize the reinforcement plan by coordinating the opinions of the Gwangju Regional Public Procurement Service, the contracting entity, and the review results of the technical advisory committee, and then resume construction,” and added, “Once the exact construction period is determined, we will inform residents of the resumption timing through explanatory meetings.”
He also emphasized, “As important as resuming construction is investigating the cause,” and clearly stated, “Apart from the audit results of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Audit Committee, we will identify the responsibility of all parties involved in the construction and hold them accountable accordingly.”
He also revealed measures to prepare for heavy rains and prevent resident damage.
Mayor Park promised, “We are currently reviewing the use of temporary facilities as provisional detention ponds, and we will do our best to ensure residents' safety through reinforcing safety facilities around the construction site, securing drainage equipment, and operating on-site work teams.”
He reaffirmed his determination to resolve the issue of household waste disposal.
Mayor Park said, “First, by utilizing advanced equipment developed with Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, we will establish optimal routes for collection vehicles and improve the collection system as early as April,” and added, “We will reinforce collection vehicles and personnel to ensure that citizens can feel visible changes as soon as possible.”
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