Chungcheongbuk-do said on the 5th that, considering worker safety, it will temporarily halt construction on the Cheongnamdae monorail during the winter months of January to February and proceed with the remaining work in March.
The province is carrying out the monorail construction with a total project cost of 5.43 billion won. It is being built as a two-car, 20-passenger, single-track shuttle over a 330-meter section from the former maintenance warehouse inside Cheongnamdae in Munui-myeon, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, to Observatory No. 1.
After completing the approval and permit process with relevant agencies in July last year, construction began, and progress reached 95% through civil foundations, support and rail installation, and the construction of boarding and alighting stations. However, because the remaining key tasks are carried out at a height of 5 to 7 meters above ground, increasing the risk of slipping and falling in winter and raising concerns about possible defects in the facilities, the work was temporarily suspended.
Accordingly, the province plans to resume construction in late February to early March, when the average temperature rises above freezing. It then plans to finish installing the catenary, leveling the floor, and installing information facilities.
The province expected the monorail to officially open in late March. After the construction, access to Observatory No. 1 is expected to improve. Although the spot is known for its scenery—often called Cheongnamdae's No. 1 view—visitors had to take a hiking trail or climb 645 stairs on a mountainous section.
An official at the Cheongnamdae Management Office said, "We will do our best on the final work so that visitors can ride the monorail and take in views of Cheongnamdae and Daecheong Lake in the flower-blooming spring."