Suwon's Woncheon Stream Expansion Replaced with Sluice Gate Improvement...Saves 22.5 Billion Won in Project Costs

To prevent flooding in the lower reaches of Woncheon Stream caused by water flowing down from Gwanggyo Lake Park during heavy downpours, Gyeonggi Province chose to improve the sluice gates of the upstream reservoir instead of widening the river channel.

As a result, the project cost initially estimated at 35.9 billion won was reduced to 13.4 billion won, saving 22.5 billion won. By reducing land compensation necessary for river expansion and large-scale road construction, the expected project period was also shortened by four years, from six years to two years.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 9th that it began work in October 2024 to prevent flood damage to Woncheon Stream in Suwon by improving the sluice gates of the upstream reservoir instead of widening the river, and completed the project in October of this year, thereby reducing project costs compared to the original plan.

The province invested a total of 13.4 billion won to replace existing rubber dams installed in two reservoirs with automatic sluice gates and established operational guidelines for reservoir management in preparation for heavy rainfall and other emergencies.

Originally, the province had planned to widen the river channel over a 1.84-kilometer section in Hadong, Youngtong-gu, Suwon, and reinforce the riverbank to prevent flooding in the lower reaches of Woncheon Stream during heavy downpours. However, major facilities such as Samsung Electronics are located in the surrounding area, and to raise bridges lower than the anticipated water level during floods, extensive construction was unavoidable, including upgrading an eight-lane road.

Bae Seong-ho, Director of the Construction Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "With the completion of the Woncheon Stream maintenance project, residents in the Suwon area can greatly alleviate their concerns about summer flooding."