Following Seongsu Bridge, a road step has now been identified on Dongjak Bridge as well.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced today (July 26) that an uneven step of approximately 8 centimeters in height was found on the northbound entry ramp of Dongjak Bridge.
This ramp, connecting Ichon-dong in Yongsan-gu and Dongjak-dong in Dongjak-gu, is the connecting section where vehicles ascend onto the bridge.
The cause of the step was the same as that of Seongsu Bridge.
It is a so-called long-term settlement phenomenon where soil has gradually subsided over a long period at the point where the bridge meets the approach embankment built with piled earth.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that this step was already identified during a detailed safety inspection in 2023 and has been managed periodically.
It added that the site is currently in a stable state with no additional settlement and poses no structural problems.
However, citizens' anxiety is not easily subsiding.
Among citizens who cross this bridge every day, voices of concern are emerging over fears of a repeat of the Seongsu Bridge disaster.
To calm public anxiety, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been conducting a comprehensive inspection of all entry and exit ramps on Han River bridges since the 9th.
Necessary sections were equipped with measuring devices, and ground-penetrating radar was used to inspect the condition beneath the pavement.
The inspection is currently in its final stages, and the results are scheduled to be released following expert consultation.
This issue first came to light at Seongsu Bridge.
A step of about 9 centimeters was identified on the southbound entry ramp of Seongsu Bridge.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that this location was also discovered during a detailed safety inspection and managed, with no additional settlement recorded since 2016.
Nevertheless, as concerns grew, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will also initiate a detailed verification on the 29th.
This is an on-site test to strip away the asphalt pavement of the ramp where the step occurred and directly check whether the structure and ground beneath the pavement have sufficient bearing capacity.
To this end, the southbound entry ramp of Seongsu Bridge will be completely closed from 9:00 p.m. on the 29th to 6:00 a.m. the next morning, and one lane of the adjacent Olympic-daero will also be partially restricted.
Once the test is completed, the road from the ramp to the bridge approach will be repaved to reduce the bumping sensation when vehicles pass.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that it will comprehensively judge the condition of the bridge by combining the results of the on-site test and detailed safety inspection, and proceed with repairs and reinforcement if necessary.
(Reported by Yeo Hyeon-gyo | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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