Recent Major Bridges in Korea

During a relatively short period, bridge technology in Korea has recognized outstanding development. Owing to the governmental policy aiming to achieve balanced regional development, unprecedented bridge construction activities are conducted in the peninsula, especially in the southwestem coast to link some of the 3 000 islands with the mainland. Korean bridge engineers are now designing and constructing bridges using domestic technology, which has today reached a level enabling to realize the erection of numerous sea-crossing bridges counting among the longest in the world like lncheon cable-stayed bridge ( main span 800 m) and Gwangyang suspension bridge ( main span 1 545 m) . This paper reviews the evolution of modem bridge construction in Korea and presents major bridges recently erected or to be built. R&D programs dedicated to the advancement of bridge technology are also introduced.