Seongsu Bridge
Native nameKorean: 성수대교; Hanja: 聖水大橋
LocationHan River, Seoul, South Korea
Also known asSŏngsu Bridge
MaintainedSeoul Metropolitan Government
Lanes8 (formerly 4)
Builder
BuiltApril 9, 1977-October 15, 1979
Cost
  • 11.58 billion won (Old)
  • 78 billion won (Current)
Collapsed7:38 a.m. Korea Standard Time on October 21, 1994
RebuiltApril 26, 1995 - July 3, 1997

The Seongsu Bridge (Korean: 성수대교; Hanja: 聖水大橋), sometimes spelled Sŏngsu Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the Han River, connecting the Seongdong and Gangnam districts of Seoul, South Korea. The bridge began construction under Hyundai Engineering & Construction on April 26, 1995 and was opened to the public on July 3, 1997 by Seoul Mayor Cho Soon (Korean: 조순; Hanja: 趙淳).[1] The original Seongsu Bridge was built in 1979, and was demolished and rebuilt following the Seongsu Bridge disaster on October 21, 1994.

History

Original bridge

Main article: Seongsu Bridge disaster

The original Seongsu Bridge was built by Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company, opening to the public on October 15, 1979.[2][1] The bridge spanned 1,160 meters (3,810 ft) and was 19.4 meters (64 ft) wide, accommodating 4 lanes of traffic.[3] Fifteen years later, on the morning of October 21, 1994, a span of the Seongsu Bridge collapsed, killing 32 people and injuring 17 others.[2] The collapse was ruled a result of poor welding, rusted extension hinges, and lack of general maintenance— and would result in the convictions of 16 city government and construction workers on charges of criminal negligence.[4]

In the aftermath of the disaster, the Seoul Metropolitan Government originally planned to repair and reopen the bridge to traffic within three months, but reversed course after public outcry.[5]: 175

New bridge

Construction for the new bridge began in March 1996 under Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Construction for the replacement bridge cost 78 billion won (equivalent to ₩ billion in ), about 6.8 times the original price.[6][7] The new bridge was opened to the public on July 3, 1997, by Mayor Cho Soon, and a memorial was held on the bridge.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Welcom to the NEMA National Emergency Management Agency". 2006-03-03. Archived 2006-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  2. ^ "32 Reported Dead as Bridge Collapses in Seoul". The New York Times. 1994-10-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  3. ^ "'성수대교 붕괴' 20년... 그때는 이럴 줄 몰랐다" (in Korean). OhmyNews. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  4. ^ "「성수대교붕괴」 전원 석방/서울지법/16명 집행유예·1명무죄 선고". Hankook Ilbo. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  5. ^ Kim, Yong-kyun (2017). Disaster risk management in the Republic of Korea. Singapore. ISBN 978-981-10-4789-3. OCLC 993623594
  6. ^ 전, 상봉 (2014-10-20). "'성수대교 붕괴' 20년... 그때는 이럴 줄 몰랐다" [20 years since the 'Seongsu Bridge collapse'...we didn't know it would turn out like this back then] (in Korean). OhmyNews. Archived February 18, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  7. ^ "대형 참사... 성수대교 붕괴 (10월21일)ㅣ뉴튜브 – 영상실록, 오늘N [46회] / YTN2", YTN, archived February 22, 2023 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2023-02-24
  8. ^ "Collapse of Seongsu Bridge". National Emergency Management Agency (South Korea). Archived from the original on March 3, 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-03.
  9. ^ "[꼬꼬무 55회 요약] 대한민국 최악의 참사, 순식간에 무너진 '성수대교 붕괴 참사' | 꼬리에 꼬리를 무는 그날 이야기 (SBS방송)", SBS, archived February 22, 2023 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2023-02-24