Seongsu Bridge
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 (조순; 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.
Seongsu Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The rebuilt Seongsu Bridge in February 2008. | |
| Coordinates | 37°32′15″N 127°02′06″E |
| Locale | Han River, Seoul, South Korea |
| Other name(s) | Sŏngsu Bridge |
| Maintained by | Seoul Metropolitan Government |
| Characteristics | |
| No. of lanes | 8 (formerly 4) |
| History | |
| Constructed by |
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| Built | April 9, 1977-October 15, 1979 |
| Construction cost | |
| Rebuilt | April 26, 1995 - July 3, 1997 |
| Collapsed | 7:38 a.m. Korea Standard Time on October 21, 1994 |
| Location | |
History
Original bridge
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
References
- "Welcom to the NEMA National Emergency Management Agency". 2006-03-03. Archived from the original on 2006-03-03. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- "32 Reported Dead as Bridge Collapses in Seoul". The New York Times. 1994-10-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- "'성수대교 붕괴' 20년... 그때는 이럴 줄 몰랐다". 오마이뉴스 (in Korean). 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- "「성수대교붕괴」 전원 석방/서울지법/16명 집행유예·1명무죄 선고". www.hankookilbo.com. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- Kim, Yong-kyun (2017). Disaster risk management in the Republic of Korea. Hong-Gyoo Sohn. Singapore. ISBN 978-981-10-4789-3. OCLC 993623594.
