Seongsu Bridge

{{Infobox bridge

|name=Seongsu Bridge

|native_name={{nobold|{{Korean|hangul=성수대교|hanja=聖水大橋}}}}

|image=Seongsu bridge night.JPG

|caption=The rebuilt Seongsu Bridge in February 2008.

|also_known_as=Sŏngsu Bridge|maintained=Seoul Metropolitan Government|lanes=8 (formerly 4)

|builder=* {{interlanguage link|Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company|lt=Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company|ko|동아그룹}} (Old)

Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Current)

|built=April 9, 1977-October 15, 1979|cost=* 11.58 billion won (Old)

78 billion won (Current)

|collapsed=7:38 a.m. Korea Standard Time on October 21, 1994

|rebuilt=April 26, 1995 - July 3, 1997

}}

The Seongsu Bridge ({{Korean|hangul=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 ({{Korean|hangul=조순|hanja=趙淳|labels=no|links=no}}).{{Cite web |date=2006-03-03 |title=Welcom to the NEMA National Emergency Management Agency |url=http://nema.go.kr/eng/m4_seongsu.jsp |access-date=2023-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060303221333/http://nema.go.kr/eng/m4_seongsu.jsp |archive-date=2006-03-03 }} The original Seongsu Bridge was built in 1979, and was demolished and rebuilt following the Seongsu Bridge disaster on October 21, 1994.

History

= Original bridge =

File:1994성수대교 붕괴 사고17.jpg]]

The original Seongsu Bridge was built by Dong Ah Construction Industrial Company, opening to the public on October 15, 1979.{{Cite news |last= |date=1994-10-22 |title=32 Reported Dead as Bridge Collapses in Seoul |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/22/world/32-reported-dead-as-bridge-collapses-in-seoul.html |access-date=2023-02-17 |issn=0362-4331}} The bridge spanned {{convert|1,160|m|ft|sp=us}} and was {{convert|19.4|m|ft|sp=us}} wide, accommodating 4 lanes of traffic.{{Cite web |date=2014-10-20 |title='성수대교 붕괴' 20년... 그때는 이럴 줄 몰랐다 |url=https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002044949 |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=OhmyNews |language=ko}} Fifteen years later, on the morning of October 21, 1994, a span of the Seongsu Bridge collapsed, killing 32 people and injuring 17 others. 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.{{Cite web |title=「성수대교붕괴」 전원 석방/서울지법/16명 집행유예·1명무죄 선고 |url=https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/199504210089921946a |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Hankook Ilbo}}

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.{{Cite book |last=Kim |first=Yong-kyun |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/993623594 |title=Disaster risk management in the Republic of Korea |date=2017 |others=Hong-Gyoo Sohn |isbn=978-981-10-4789-3 |location=Singapore |oclc=993623594}}{{Rp|page=175}}

= New bridge =

Construction for the new bridge began in March 1996 under Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Construction for the replacement bridge cost 78 billion won (equivalent to ₩{{Inflation|index=KRW|value=78|start_year=1997|fmt=|cursign=}} billion in {{Inflation/year|KRW}}{{Inflation/fn|index=KRW}}), about 6.8 times the original price.{{Cite web |last=전 |first=상봉 |date=2014-10-20 |title='성수대교 붕괴' 20년... 그때는 이럴 줄 몰랐다 |trans-title=20 years since the 'Seongsu Bridge collapse'...we didn't know it would turn out like this back then |url=https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002044949 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218025109/https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002044949 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-18 |publisher=OhmyNews |language=ko}}{{Citation |title=대형 참사... 성수대교 붕괴 (10월21일)ㅣ뉴튜브 – 영상실록, 오늘N [46회] / YTN2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GSQOG1Hy7I |access-date=2023-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222074844/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GSQOG1Hy7I&t=2 |url-status=live |publisher=YTN |language=en |archive-date=February 22, 2023}} The new bridge was opened to the public on July 3, 1997, by Mayor Cho Soon, and a memorial was held on the bridge.{{Cite web |date= |title=Collapse of Seongsu Bridge |url=http://nema.go.kr/eng/m4_seongsu.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060303221333/http://nema.go.kr/eng/m4_seongsu.jsp |archive-date=March 3, 2006 |access-date=2006-03-03 |publisher=National Emergency Management Agency (South Korea)}}{{Citation |title=[꼬꼬무 55회 요약] 대한민국 최악의 참사, 순식간에 무너진 '성수대교 붕괴 참사' {{!}} 꼬리에 꼬리를 무는 그날 이야기 (SBS방송) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEh7xz1IUl4 |access-date=2023-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222055309/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BEh7xz1IUl4 |url-status=live |publisher=SBS |language=en |archive-date=February 22, 2023}}