Incheon sets Guinness world record with new sea bridge
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Built at a cost of 767.7 billion won ($683.8 million), the bridge spans 4.68km and carries six lanes of traffic.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM OBS NEWS/YOUTUBE
Follow topic:
SEOUL – Incheon on Jan 5 opened its third sea bridge linking Yeongjongdo – the island home to Incheon International Airport – with the mainland, five years after construction began, city officials said.
The Incheon Metropolitan Government said the bridge connecting Yeongjongdo with Cheongna in Seo-gu officially opened to traffic at 2pm.
A separate opening ceremony, including the unveiling of a Guinness World Records certificate, a bridge lighting event and fireworks, was scheduled for 4.30pm at the waterfront space beneath the bridge.
The new bridge is the third bridge linking Yeongjongdo to the mainland, following the Yeongjong Bridge, which opened in 2000 as part of the airport expressway, and the Incheon Bridge, which opened in 2009 connecting Songdo and Yeongjong.
Built at a cost of 767.7 billion won (S$683.8 million), the bridge spans 4.68km and carries six lanes of traffic.
Tolls are set at 2,000 won per trip for passenger vehicles. Residents of Yeongjong, Cheongna and Bukdo-myeon in Ongjin County will be exempt, and the city plans to waive tolls for all Incheon residents starting in April. Drivers from other regions will be required to pay.
Toll collections will begin on March 15 after a trial period to test the smart tolling system, Hi-Pass and licence plate recognition accuracy, as well as resident discount systems. The bridge will initially operate without toll collection to allow for system checks.
A key feature of the bridge is its observatory installed on the main pylon at a height of 184m.
The observatory has been recognised by Guinness World Records and the US-based World Record Committee as the world’s highest observatory on a sea bridge. The bridge’s gate-shaped design, rare among cable-stayed bridges, has also drawn attention for its visual impact.
Unlike the existing Yeongjong and Incheon bridges, the bridge includes pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes measuring up to four metres wide, as well as tourism facilities such as an observatory and a media facade designed to function as an open-air “sea cinema”.
City officials expect the bridge to significantly improve access between the airport island and western parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, while integrating Yeongjong and Cheongna into a single economic zone and boosting investment and tourism.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said the opening marks “a milestone symbolising Incheon’s next leap forward”, adding that the city will prioritise safe and efficient operation of the bridge.
However, the bridge will open without an official name due to an ongoing dispute between districts.
The city selected “Cheongna Sky Bridge” through its naming committee, but Jung-gu, where the island is located, has requested a review by the National Place Names Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, delaying final confirmation. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
