Mapo-gu Makes Every Effort to Eliminate Sinkhole Concerns Under Roads

Strengthening Resident Safety Through Special Inspections of Daehyeong-dong Gosan 16-gil and Yeonnam-dong Yeonnam-ro 1-gil
Proactive Repairs and Swift Action: Exploring and Maintaining 377 km of District Roads by 2027

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) is making every effort to repair hidden cavities and manage roads to proactively prevent unexpected ground subsidence (sinkhole) accidents.

Cavities refer to empty spaces beneath the road surface, which, if left unattended, can lead to major casualties and property damage, making early detection and repair crucial.

Following a five-year plan from 2023 to 2027, Mapo-gu is sequentially inspecting 377 km of district roads and actively addressing areas requiring repair by utilizing subsurface exploration and advanced technologies.

In 2024, using ground-penetrating radar equipment, the district surveyed and analyzed 40.1 km of district roads, including both vehicle lanes and sidewalks, identifying 31 cavities and completing repair work.

The cavities discovered by Mapo-gu were mainly caused by insufficient compaction beneath buried pipes or damage to underground installations.

Two sections were deemed to require special inspection: parts of Daehyeong-dong (Gosan 16-gil) and Yeonnam-dong (Yeonnam-ro 1-gil), where water supply pipes in use for over 30 years are buried.

Among these, the Daehyeong-dong section has undergone long-term water distribution pipe maintenance conducted by the Western Waterworks Office, completing 585 meters out of a total 710 meters by November 2024. The 125-meter section on private land has been agreed upon with landowners and will be completed by April 2025.

The water distribution pipe maintenance in the Yeonnam-dong section will also be completed within this month to fundamentally eliminate risk factors.

Mapo-gu aims to create a safe living environment for residents by conducting continuous and regular inspections of the two long-term water supply pipe maintenance sections.

Seoul City is promoting special cavity investigation inspections for 50 locations across Seoul, including these two sections.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, "We believe there is no such thing as too much safety, and we are focusing administrative capabilities on removing potential hazards beneath the roads in advance. Mapo-gu will do its utmost to create a safe road environment through thorough inspections and prompt restoration."