9cm Height Difference Found at Seongsu Bridge Entrance; Seoul City to Conduct Immediate Safety Inspection

A height difference of approximately 9 centimeters has been identified at the entrance ramp on the southern end of Seongsu Bridge in Seoul, leading to a series of reports from citizens passing through the area.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that while this height difference has existed since the initial construction, it has decided to conduct an immediate, detailed safety inspection and a comprehensive investigation into similar cases to address public concern.

According to the city, the affected area is the ramp section leading from the Olympic Expressway toward Jamsil onto Seongsu Bridge, which is an uphill entrance section constructed with soil and retaining walls.

It is not a section of the road that is elevated as a bridge.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been receiving complaints regarding the height difference and conducting on-site inspections, which led to repairs on parts such as the guardrail connections in that section.

The city stated that the center of the road where vehicles travel is paved with asphalt, meaning there is no disruption to traffic, and it has been confirmed that there has been no change in the scale of the height difference in the structure for several years.

A Seoul city official explained, "The height difference has existed since immediately after construction, and we have been managing it through regular inspections in the first and second halves of every year, as well as detailed safety inspections every two years." The official added, "There is no evidence of progressive settlement of the road since construction, so we currently judge that there are no safety concerns."

However, some have raised concerns, citing the past collapse of Seongsu Bridge and the recent collapse of the Seosomun Overpass, arguing that the cause of the height difference needs to be thoroughly verified.

In response to these concerns, the Seoul Metropolitan Government decided today (July 9) to immediately conduct a detailed safety inspection of the ramp section and carry out a comprehensive survey to check for similar cases in other bridge sections across the city.

The city official said, "This section has been closely monitored and managed for over 10 years. While it is not a situation that warrants concerns about collapse risks or structural safety issues, we will conduct an immediate safety inspection to dispel public anxiety, take measures to ensure there are no abnormalities, and manage it thoroughly to prevent similar concerns from arising."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government believes the height difference in question is highly likely to have been caused by a lack of precision during the process of compacting the soil inside the retaining wall or constructing the retaining wall itself during the creation of the bridge entrance.

(Photo: Google Maps capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.