Around 12:30 a.m. on the 11th, a report of a collapse concern was received at the construction site of the Shin Ansan Line in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong City, prompting police to close surrounding roads.
The police have completely restricted vehicle and pedestrian traffic along the 1 kilometer stretch of the 6-lane O리 road from the Yangjisa intersection to the Hohyeon intersection in Anyang, taking safety measures.
Seventeen workers at the site evacuated on their own, and there were no injuries.
The section where the accident occurred is site 5-2 of the Shin Ansan Line, being constructed by POSCO, where a construction official reported a crack discovered while working to Gwangmyeong City Hall. It was confirmed that city hall officials requested traffic control from the police.
From 2:08 a.m. that day, Gwangmyeong City sent out a safety message on four occasions, stating, 'Traffic control is in effect due to signs of damage to the structure at the construction site of the Shin Ansan Line, so please use alternate routes.'
The place where the crack occurred is identified as the central pillar (support) inside the underground tunnel, which is under construction using a 'two-arch' structure.
The construction method involves drilling one arch-shaped tunnel to set up pillars and then drilling another tunnel beside it to expand on both sides, where cracks have been found in multiple pillars between the tunnels.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is dispatching relevant experts to the site to discuss the cause of the cracks and safety measures. It is expected that reinforcement work, including the installation of auxiliary pillars, will follow.
A Ministry of Land official noted, 'We are currently broadly discussing the causes of the accident and subsequent measures, and will consider forming an advisory group if necessary,' adding that 'it is difficult to estimate the timing for resuming construction and lifting traffic controls at this point.'
The police plan to continue the road closures until the reinforcement work is completed and safety is secured.