Transformation of the Busan Tunnel, two months of late-night emergency maintenance for safety > News

The key to this construction is replacing the power lines inside the tunnel with fire-resistant ‘fire-resistant wires.’ The existing electric wires had a fatal weakness in that in the event of a fire, flames would spread quickly through the wires and throughout the tunnel. However, this measure is a strategy to physically delay the spread of the flames and secure golden time for citizens to evacuate. Construction is being carried out by Beom-A Electric Co., Ltd., a specialized company, and the Construction Safety Testing Office is making every effort to manage the site and improve process efficiency to minimize the construction period. This is not simply facility maintenance, but an active disaster prevention system upgrade measure for the safety of tunnel users.

Traffic control will be concentrated on the upward route from Yeongju-dong to Daeshin-dong from June 22nd to August 28th. The two upbound lanes are completely blocked for a total of eight hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day, and during this time, the two downbound lanes are used, with vehicles in both directions crossing each other, with one lane each. Fortunately, weekends and public holidays are excluded from the control, so it is unlikely that there will be any significant disruption to weekend travel demand. However, drivers passing through this section during late night hours on weekdays should be aware that traffic speeds may be slower than usual and should take wise action by using detours whenever possible.

The perspective on this construction is intersecting between the justification for ensuring safety and the reality of transportation inconvenience. Since the Busan Tunnel is a major arterial road with frequent logistics movement and significant traffic volume even during late-night hours, the two-month construction period will certainly be a considerable burden on citizens. Nevertheless, the reason the city authorities made this decision is because awareness has recently increased that a fire accident in a tunnel could lead to a large-scale disaster. The reason for forcing night work is also interpreted as a desperate measure to avoid extreme traffic congestion during the day and not to interfere with citizens' daily economic activities.

While construction is underway, drivers will be asked to closely monitor real-time traffic conditions and strictly follow guidance signs provided by Busan City. Stricter controls than usual will be implemented at construction sites to prevent safety accidents, and the possibility that the construction schedule may be partially adjusted depending on the situation cannot be ruled out. Therefore, it is recommended that logistics vehicles or late-night drivers who have to pass through the tunnel every night figure out a detour route in advance before departure. Remembering that the small inconveniences of citizens add up to build a huge safety net that increases fire safety throughout the tunnel, it is necessary to understand and cooperate with the control during this construction period with a mature citizen consciousness.