Incheon Bridge opens to traffic

Incheon Bridge, now officially Korea`s longest bridge, was opened to the public yesterday, boosting the country`s ambition to become the business and logistics center of Asia.

The 18.4 kilometers long bridge links Songdo, one of three developed areas of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, to Incheon International Airport. It also connects to a number of expressways coming from the southern part of the greater Seoul area, cutting travelling time as well as energy consumption due to the shorter distance.

The bridge allows motorists to reach the airport from Songdo in about 20 minutes, cutting the travel time between the two locations by 40 minutes.



The government hopes to save 480 billion won ($412 million) on logistics costs per year.

Construction work on the bridge alone took about four years and four months at a cost of 2.45 trillion won.

It is also expected to contribute in boosting the regional economy and generate production worth 3.9 trillion won, officials said.

At the opening ceremony held in front of the bridge yesterday, President Lee Myung-bak praised engineers and workers for their hard work in completing the bridge.

The bridge will open for motorists at 12 p.m. on Monday after the Incheon city government holds festivals for marathoners and bicycle riders today and tomorrow.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs has set toll fees for the bridge at 5,500 won for larger passenger cars with engine capacities exceeding 1,000 cc while smaller cars will pay 2,750 won. Buses with over 16 seats are required to pay 9,400 won and 12,200 won for trucks weighing over 10 tons, officials said.

The Incheon Bridge is already grabbing international attention. The world`s seventh longest bridge was named one of the "Ten Wonders of the Construction World" by Construction News and received Euromoney magazine`s "Deal of the Year" award.

Of those 11.7 kilometers, 1,480 meters take the form of a cable-stayed bridge. The deck of the cable-stayed section of the bridge is held up by cables attached to two Y-shaped pylons. At 230.5 meters, the pylons are less than 19 meters shorter than the country`s tallest skyscraper in Yeouido in Seoul. The deck of the cable-stayed section of the bridge is 74 meters above sea level, allowing large ships to pass underneath.

(christory@heraldm.com)





By Cho Chung-un