The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced today (July 10) that the demolition of the Seosomun Overpass has been completed and that vehicle traffic at the level crossing will resume starting at 12:00 a.m. on July 11.
This comes 46 days after the collapse of the Seosomun Overpass on May 26, which caused 6 casualties.
The Central Disaster Management Headquarters will also cease operations as of 6:00 p.m. today.
The Ministry has been conducting demolition work in stages according to a site restoration plan established with relevant agencies.
On May 29, the girders (beams supporting the bridge deck) of the collapsed section were removed, and train operations on the Gyeongui Line between Sinchon and Seoul Station resumed on May 30.
Following this, the demolition of the remaining three bridge piers was fully completed under the safety supervision of an on-site inspection team, which included members from the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) and the Korea National Railway.
After the pier demolition was finished, relevant agencies, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, KORAIL, and the Korea National Railway, conducted a final safety inspection for rail vehicles, automobiles, and pedestrians.
Even after traffic resumes, the authorities plan to strengthen safety management by stationing four level-crossing attendants on a permanent basis and installing artificial intelligence (AI) closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
The AI CCTV system is designed to alert approaching trains of dangerous situations if a vehicle or pedestrian becomes trapped at the crossing.
Kim Tae-byeong, Director General of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "Even after the dissolution of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, we plan to identify the fundamental cause of the accident and prepare measures to prevent similar accidents, including plans to strengthen on-site management near railway facilities, within the second half of this year."
(Photo: Yonhap News)