School Route Connecting Gwangsan Middle and Songwoo Elementary in Gwangju to Be Improved

Gwangsan District Launches Usan-dong New Village Project
Ensuring Pedestrian Safety with Sidewalk Expansion and New Walkways

Changes have begun in the Usan-dong area of Gwangsan District, Gwangju, where students’ school routes and residents’ pedestrian paths intersect.

On January 19, Gwangsan District in Gwangju announced that it has begun to accelerate the Usan-dong New Village project by launching construction to improve the school route connecting Gwangsan Middle School and Songwoo Elementary School, prioritizing the long-standing issue of pedestrian safety as its primary task.

Gwangsan District in Gwangju has launched a project to improve the school routes around Gwangsan Middle School and Songwoo Elementary School, which is part of the Usan-dong New Village project. The project area. Provided by Gwangsan District

Gwangsan District has started the school route improvement project for the section connecting Gwangsan Middle School and Songwoo Elementary School. This construction is one of the detailed projects under the Usan-dong New Village initiative, with a total investment of 19.6 billion won, including national and municipal funds, and focuses on safely upgrading the pedestrian space shared by students and residents.

This section has long been criticized for its poor pedestrian conditions. The southern sidewalk connecting Gwangsan Middle School and Songwoo Elementary School has been narrow, making passage inconvenient, and it has been difficult for wheelchairs and strollers to move through. On the eastern side of Songwoo Elementary School, there has been no sidewalk, leading to repeated concerns over safety accidents during school commuting hours.

Through this construction, Gwangsan District plans to widen the southern sidewalk from Gwangsan Middle School to Songwoo Elementary School and to create a new 114-meter-long pedestrian path on the south side of Songwoo Elementary School by removing the school fence and utilizing the newly secured land. In the section connecting the two schools to the nearby residential complex, pedestrian and vehicle paths will be separated to clearly define movement routes.

To advance the project, Gwangsan District has been in discussions with the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and the two schools, reaching an agreement to use the school land free of charge. The construction is scheduled to be completed before the new school semester begins in March.

The Usan-dong New Village project was selected through a public contest by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and is currently underway. Gwangsan District plans to gradually establish a community foundation, expand living infrastructure, and improve residential conditions by 2029. The creation of a Silver Community Platform is also included within the scope of this project.

A Gwangsan District official stated, "Reflecting the needs of residents, parents, and students, we have made school route improvement our top priority," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure the construction creates a safe and walkable pedestrian environment."