Bad planning leads to ‘road of thunder’ by homes

Social Affairs

Published: 15 Jun. 2011, 21:24

Bad planning leads to ‘road of thunder’ by homes

A section of a beltway highway around Seoul near Pangyo New Town in Gyeonggi will be taken out and moved 110 meters north, following complaints of noise from residents of apartments right next to the highway. By Kim Do-hoon

Pangyo New Town residents in the “H” apartments were enraged when they found out their long-awaited dreams of living in a peaceful new town away from the bustling city - but close enough to enjoy its benefits - were ruined by the “thunderous” sound of traffic on the outer beltway highway around Seoul, located right outside their windows.

Due to bad city planning, a section of the roadway is destined to be rerouted, wasting 106 billion won ($97.8 million). The cost will be covered by the Korea Land and Housing Corp., which has a debt of about 13 trillion won, and Seongnam city, which recently called for a moratorium due to not being able to pay its debt of 540 billion won ($498 million) in the Pangyo New Town Development Special Account. Construction will start by the end of this year.

Faced with growing complaints, the LH and Seongnam city government announced Tuesday that they will take out the section, stretching 1.84 kilometers (1.14 miles), and move it 110 meters north by 2015. And now, fingers are being pointed at the LH and Seongnam city for wasting such money to make up for their “mushy-headed city planning,” as one put it.

Despite having a section of the beltway standing 80 meters above ground, the 18-storey apartments were constructed right next to it during the building of Pangyo New Town, which ended in December 2009. The gap between the highway and nearest apartments is only 33 meters, making it extremely unpleasant for residents to open their windows due to the noise.

“I can’t sleep at night because of thundering noise from the cars and I can’t even open the windows. I think I’ll become neurotic,” said Kim Sun-oh, an apartment resident.

The noise inside the apartment complex was measured to be about 72.7 dB during the day and 65.7 dB during the night, according to reports. This exceeds the noise-abatement regulation level, which is 68 dB during the day and 58 dB during the night.

But the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, LH and Seongnam City carried on with construction of the apartment complex after installing 3-meter-high soundproof walls.

LH and Seongnam city government officials have been busy shifting the blame from one to the other.

“We couldn’t consider the noise issue when drawing out the contours of the new town,” said an official from LH, partly admitting the mistake. But the official argued that Seongnam city has more to blame because the area was under Seongnam city’s management and that it had the responsibility to revise the design.

But Seongnam city officials were angered by LH trying to pass the buck. “We thought installing tall soundproof walls was [enough] when receiving a building permit,” said Jae In-ho, head of the Residential Development section of Urban Development Agency of Seongnam city.

By Yoo Gil-yong, Yim Seung-hye [sharon@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]

판교 설계 잘못 1000억 날렸다

멀쩡한 서울외곽순환도로 1.84㎞ 구간 뜯어내, 북쪽으로 110m 옮기기로

14일 오후 서울외곽순환고속도로 평촌에서 성남 방향 운중교 구간. 교량 높이가 80m인 고속도로 바로 옆에 18층 높이의 아파트들이 서 있다. 판교신도시 서북쪽 끝에 있는 산운마을 H아파트다.

아파트와 고속도로의 거리는 불과 33m. 이들 아파트의 창문은 모두 닫혀 있었다. 시속 100㎞가 넘는 속도로 달리는 차들이 내는 굉음이 끊이지 않기 때문이다. 입주민 김순오씨는 “ 끊이지 않는 굉음 때문에 잠도 못 자고, 문도 열 수 없어 노이로제에 걸릴 지경”이라고 말했다.

이렇게 잘못 설계한 아파트 때문에 멀쩡한 외곽순환고속도로를 1063억원 들여 옮기기로 했다. 이 비용은 판교특별회계 차입금 5400억원을 갚을 수 없다며 모라토리엄(지급유예)을 선언한 성남시와 125조원의 빚을 안고 있는 LH(한국토지주택공사)가 부담한다.

이 아파트의 소음이 얼마나 심각한지 측정했더니 주간 72.7㏈, 야간에는 65.7㏈이나 됐다. 소음진동규제법상 교통소음 규제치(주간 68㏈, 야간 58㏈)와 환경정책기본법상 도로변 소음 기준치(주간 65㏈, 야간 55㏈)를 모두 초과했다. 그뿐 아니다. 아파트와 고속도로가 가까워 만약 자동차가 추락하면 아파트를 덮칠 수 있다. 주민들이 불안에 떨 수밖에 없는 이유다.

소음을 막기 위해 운중교 구간에 방음벽을 설치하는 방안을 검토했다. 그러나 80m 높이의 교량이 방음시설 하중을 견딜 수 없다는 진단이 나왔다. LH와 성남시는 결국 운중교 구간 1.84㎞를 2015년까지 110m 북쪽으로 옮기기로 결정했다.

운중교 구간의 소음 문제는 신도시 계획 때부터 예견됐다. 2004년 4월 성남 판교지구 택지개발사업 환경영향평가서 작성 당시 외곽순환도로를 포함한 광역도로변 6곳에서 측정한 소음치가 대부분 환경기준을 넘었기 때문이다. 그중 H아파트 지점의 측정치가 가장 높았다. 그런데도 국토해양부(당시 건설교통부), 성남시, LH가 대비책 없이 사업을 강행했다.