Gwanak-gu to Detect Road Sinkholes through Special Patrols and Joint Inspections

Comprehensive Road Safety Inspection Triggered by Yeonhui-dong Sinkhole...Focused Patrol on Village Bus Routes with Large Vehicles
Joint Exploration with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey Until 2028...Immediate Repair of 30 Discovered Cavities
Underground Safety Management through Full Inspection and Rapid Replacement and Repair of Sewer Pipes Over 30 Years Old

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) will turn on the "green light" for road safety by conducting special patrols for one month starting in September to prevent road subsidence.

This measure was prepared to re-inspect the roads in Gwanak-gu and ensure residents' safety following the recent large sinkhole incident in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu.

The district plans to focus on inspecting ▲road settlement ▲road damage ▲pothole occurrences not only on general sidewalks and roads but also on sections frequently used by large vehicles such as village buses.

For this special patrol, the district has divided the 21 neighborhoods into 11 teams and will first conduct patrols through visual inspections. Each team will continuously monitor the sidewalks and road conditions in their respective neighborhoods to prevent safety accidents and will promptly respond as soon as road subsidence or surface damage is detected.

Additionally, three separate vehicle patrol teams will be organized to focus on inspecting 10 sections of Gwanak-gu village bus routes, which are mainly used by large vehicles.

The vehicle patrol teams will prioritize patrolling areas including major intersections and public transportation routes to detect and respond early to road issues that may arise due to the impact of large vehicles.

Furthermore, to prevent risks caused by voids (underground empty spaces), one of the main causes of road subsidence, the district divides the area into five zones and conducts an annual void survey using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) exploration.

The void survey service is scheduled to cover a total of 460 km of district-managed roads by 2028. This year, a detailed investigation is underway on a 79 km section covering Seonghyeon-dong, Euncheon-dong, Jungang-dong, Cheongnim-dong, and Haengun-dong, where 30 voids have been discovered and immediately repaired so far.

In addition, the district is also conducting a full inspection of “aged sewage pipelines,” one of the main causes of road subsidence. It plans to check the condition of sewage and water pipelines that have been in use for over 30 years in the area and accelerate replacement and repair work to enhance the safety of the sewage system, thereby strengthening overall underground safety management in Gwanak-gu.

District Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I hope this special patrol will alleviate residents’ concerns about road subsidence and void occurrences,” adding, “We will continue to inspect roads in the area to create a safe road environment where people can travel with peace of mind.”