A project to install safety facilities on Incheon Bridge, where jumping incidents frequently occur, is facing difficulties due to insufficient regulations.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the operator of Incheon Bridge on Tuesday (June 23), both sides are pushing for the installation of anti-jump safety barriers. However, the project has stalled because there are no design standards applicable to bridges without sidewalks.
Opened in 2009, Incheon Bridge is a privately funded expressway connecting the mainland to Yeongjongdo, where Incheon International Airport is located.
To prevent jumping incidents, the operator has installed plastic drums on the shoulder to prevent illegal parking and has strengthened patrols. However, as critics have pointed out the limitations of these measures, the need for safety barriers has been consistently raised.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the bridge operator began full-scale discussions on installing safety barriers when they signed an agreement to lower tolls late last year.
The funding issue was partially resolved as it was decided that a portion of the project costs would be covered by state funds collected by the Ministry from Incheon Bridge tolls.
Accordingly, the Ministry initially planned to review the installation of 2.5-meter-high safety barriers along a 7 to 8 km section near the main pylons of Incheon Bridge, begin design work early this year, and complete construction within the second half of the year.
However, during subsequent consultations, it was confirmed that there are virtually no precedents for installing anti-jump facilities on expressway bridges, and there are no appropriate standards applicable to bridges without sidewalks.
In the case of Cheongna Haneul Bridge, which opened early this year, anti-jump safety barriers were installed in accordance with existing laws and standards because the bridge has sidewalks.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport maintains that it is difficult to apply existing standards to Incheon Bridge, which lacks sidewalks.
The Ministry explained that while guardrails are typically installed between the roadway and sidewalk on general bridges, allowing for anti-jump facilities to be placed on the outer edge of the sidewalk, Incheon Bridge requires a separate standard because it necessitates a structure that considers both guardrails and anti-jump facilities simultaneously.
A Ministry official stated, "We are consulting with the relevant department to see if we can create standards for installing anti-jump facilities on expressway bridges," adding, "We want to start construction as soon as possible, but it is difficult to provide a specific schedule at this time."
Since the bridge opened in 2009, a total of 99 people have jumped from Incheon Bridge as of June 19.
Of these, 73 died, 15 went missing, and 11 survived, with 6 deaths occurring this year alone. (Photo: Yonhap News)