Lowering the slope and repaving old walking trails
Oncheon Park in Changjeon-dong, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do has been transformed into a 'Barrier-Free Sharing Path' considerate of mobility-impaired pedestrians.
On the 19th, Icheon City announced that on the 18th, to commemorate the completion of the Barrier-Free Sharing Path at Oncheon Park, Mayor Kim Kyung-hee, heads of social organizations in Changjeon-dong, and about 30 others participated in a walking event.
Kim Kyung-hee (center), mayor of Icheon City, is inspecting while walking through the Oncheon Park, which was developed as a barrier-free sharing path, with local residents. Photo by Icheon City
The Oncheon Park Barrier-Free Sharing Path project involved a budget of 2.134 billion KRW. The budget was secured by selecting the site for the 'Green Fund Barrier-Free Sharing Path Creation Project' promoted by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute using lottery funds, which provided 1.634 billion KRW, with an additional 500 million KRW from city funds.
Through this project, the city constructed 1,655 meters of barrier-free sharing path and repaved 1,149 meters of old walking trails. Two shaded rest areas and 14 benches were also installed along the trails. During the construction process, a 663-meter section with steep slopes was equipped with a natural wood deck path to reduce the gradient, and 547 meters of old walking trails were repaved. Additionally, 455 meters of existing sidewalks were connected to improve accessibility for mobility-impaired pedestrians. The natural loess path within the park was also extended by 40 meters, with added shoe racks and benches.
Hwang Byung-gu, head of the Parks and Greenery Division of Icheon City, said, "With the creation of this barrier-free sharing path, park accessibility has improved, allowing all citizens to enjoy it conveniently," adding, "We will continue to promote projects to establish barrier-free environments in other parks as well."
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