Hanam City Opens Gamil First Overpass...Resolving Residents' Long-Standing Wishes and Connecting Transportation Networks

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Hanam City announced that the Gamil First Overpass (located in Gamil-dong 97-10) connecting the Gamil Public Housing District and Seobu Elementary School officially opened at 6 p.m. on the 30th of last month.

The newly opened Gamil First Overpass is a road bridge reinstalled at the site where the existing pylons were demolished during the Seoul Metropolitan Area First Circular Expressway expansion project.

Initially, the section was not included in the Gamil District comprehensive transportation improvement plan, and there was no plan for overpass reinstallation. However, following residents' long-standing requests for school commute safety and regional connectivity, combined with Hanam City's active recommendations, the Korea Expressway Corporation accepted these proposals and converted the project.

The overpass construction project involved a total budget of 6.1 billion won (4.8 billion won in construction costs, 1.3 billion won in demolition costs). The structure was built as a three-lane road spanning 104 meters with a width of 11.65 meters, consisting of two lanes in the Gam-buk-dong direction and one lane in the Gamil-dong direction. Elevators to improve accessibility for mobility-impaired individuals are scheduled to be installed by the 30th of this month.

The city expects the opening of Gamil First Overpass to significantly alleviate residents' transportation inconveniences caused by delays in the construction of Bangnae-dari Road and the Oryun Intersection Connection Road.

Additionally, internal roads within the Gamil District have been completed as three-lane roads in connection with the bridge, and an additional lane has been secured on the road in front of Seobu Elementary School to improve student commute safety and traffic flow.

The ancillary road of the Seoul Metropolitan Area First Circular Expressway (Gwangam-ro), which was used as a bypass road during the Gamil First Overpass demolition period, has completed pavement maintenance and will be utilized in parallel as an official road.

Mayor Lee Hyun-jae stated, "The Gamil First Overpass is the result of cooperation between the city, citizens, and related agencies to resolve residents' inconveniences and is an important connecting link in the Gamil District's comprehensive transportation network. We will complete the construction of Bangnae-dari Road and the Oryun Intersection Connection Road by August to enhance the completeness of our transportation infrastructure."