"Safety First"... Seongnam City Delays Opening of Sunaegyo Bridge Toward Bundang to December

Construction Delayed Due to Unexpected Sewer Discovery
Mayor Shin Sangjin: "We Sincerely Apologize to Citizens... We Will Build a Strong and Safe Bridge"

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor: Shin Sang-jin) has postponed the opening of the Sunaegyo Bridge toward Bundang, one of the region's key transportation arteries, to December. Although construction was originally planned for completion in July, unexpected sewer pipelines were discovered at the site, necessitating a redesign and a structural safety review.

Overview of the Sunnae Bridge full reconstruction construction site. Provided by Seongnam City

On the 20th, Seongnam City stated, "Additional issues emerged during the complete reconstruction of Sunaegyo Bridge, inevitably delaying the opening of the bridge toward Bundang." The city added, "We will prioritize citizens' safety above all and proceed accordingly."

The Sunaegyo Bridge reconstruction project is a large-scale infrastructure initiative with a total investment of 36.9 billion won. The work involves demolishing the existing bridge and building a new one, while adopting a phased construction method that keeps all eight lanes open to minimize inconvenience to residents.

Earlier, the city completed the first stage in February 2025, installing a temporary bridge and operating four lanes of a provisional road. Currently, the second stage—which entails demolishing the existing bridge in the Bundang direction and building a new structure—is underway.

The city initially planned to shorten the construction period as much as possible and open the Bundang-bound bridge in July this year. However, with the discovery of sewer pipelines not reflected in the original design, it became unavoidable to review the project's safety and adjust the design.

To make up for the delayed progress, Seongnam City intends to mobilize additional labor and equipment at the site and accelerate the project with a goal of opening the bridge in December.

Mayor Shin Sang-jin of Seongnam said, "We are making every effort to minimize traffic disruption through the operation of a temporary road, but I sincerely apologize to the citizens for not being able to meet the originally promised opening date." He continued, "Above all, citizens' safety is our top priority, so we will do our utmost to ensure thorough safety measures rather than focusing on construction speed."

He also stated, "With the construction period slightly extended, we will deliver a safer and sturdier Sunaegyo Bridge through high-quality work, so that citizens can use it with peace of mind," and asked for continued understanding and cooperation from city residents.

Meanwhile, once the Bundang-bound bridge opens in December, Seongnam City plans to begin stage three: demolishing and reconstructing the bridge in the Seoul direction. The entire project aims for final completion in December 2027. Throughout the construction, the city will consistently inspect traffic safety facilities and continuously optimize signal systems to minimize inconvenience to citizens.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.