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Tag Archive for Incheon Bridge
Chemulpo to Songdo IBD: Korea’s International Gateway
Incheon Bridge to Open: 4 Years and 4 Months in the Making
Incheon Bridge
The long awaited opening of the Incheon Bridge will have tremendous impact on Songdo IBD and the region. The soft opening is this week. (Last weekend the Bridge hosted a marathon for 30,000 runners).
Choson Ilbo notes,
Incheon Bridge to Open Friday
The Incheon Bridge is to be officially opened on Friday[October 16], four years and four months after construction began.
The bridge connects the Songdo International Business District in the Incheon Free Economic Zone and Yeongjongdo, where Incheon International Airport is located.
To celebrate the opening of the bridge, Incheon city and the Chosun Ilbo co-host a walking tour on Saturday. Vehicles are allowed from Monday.
The bridge at 21.38 km is the country’s longest and the world’s seventh longest. Among cable-stayed bridges, it is the world’s fifth longest bridge.
Great Video on Incheon Grand Bridge
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
Incheon Grand Bridge
Great video on the new Incheon Grand Bridge. We expect the bridge to open in October 2009 as part of the Incheon Global Fair and Festival 80 day celebration.
Click here Incheon Bridge
Incheon International Airport Scores High in Passenger Satisfaction…Again
Incheon International Airport
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
Anyone who travels frequently knows that airports vary greatly. Some are better than others. I have always found Incheon a positive experience. It’s really no surprise that year-after-year they rank top in passenger satisfaction. When the new bridge linking the airport to Songdo IBD is completed later this year, the travel experience to Korea will be even better.
Global media notes…Incheon International Airport in South Korea won the coveted Best Airport Award, according to a survey conducted by Airports Council International. Passenger satisfaction with the new Terminal 3 promoted Singapore Changi Airport into 2nd place this year, with Hong Kong International Airport coming in at a close 3rd place. Airports Council International announced the top performing airports in the Airport Service Quality Survey.
Songdo IBD March 2009: An Update
1st World Towers, Songdo IBD
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
After a week in Korea, I’m back in La Jolla, California. I’d like to share some insights on the visit. First, flying into Incheon International Airport, the new bridge looked awesome. Th Songdo IBD skyline is also beginning to standout–buildings sprouting up.
I cannot wait for the bridge to link the project with the airport. In fact, the new bridge will open up much of the region south of Incheon and spur growth. At two occasions over the week, Korean friends commented on the bridge making travel more convenient and that local businesses would benefit. All were also impressed with the scope and scale of Songdo IBD.
I also had the opportunity to chat with the construction management team for the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. They shared that the golf course was one of the most eco-friendly in the world. What I found interesting was not only the technology involved in the project, but Jack Nicklaus’ ongoing interest in the Songdo IBD golf course.
To conclude, over the week despite many in Korea feeling the impact of the global recession (and scarce Foreign Direct Investment in Korea)…Songdo IBD, the Gale International team, and their partners are moving forward with the project.
Incheon Bridge: Building Hope
Great article in JoongAng Daily.
SONGDO, Incheon – The mercury dips below zero, and a cold wind hits your face hard.
The wintry marine weather makes itself felt on every inch of the deck as the boat navigates the waters off the West Coast.
The usually 30-minute journey sometimes turns into hours if rain, snow or strong waves come. It seemed a hard enough trip in itself when a reporter took it last Tuesday.
To Chung Myung-hyun, a 31-year-old assistant manager at Samsung Engineering and Construction, it is the only means of commuting to work, and he has repeated it twice a day over the past three and a half years.
Chung works as a main construction field manager in the middle of the sea near this Incheon district.
He is leading the effort to build the longest-ever cross-sea bridge in Korea. His hard work is slowly coming to an end, and the fruit it will bear is great.
The Incheon Bridge, construction of which began in July 2005, is scheduled to be finished by October of this year. It will be the fifth-largest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
“At this pace, we think we will be able to finish this one month earlier than scheduled,” Chung said, turning his eyes toward the massive bridge as it emerged on the horizon.
On Dec. 16 of last year, an 800-meter (0.5-mile) section between the bridge’s two main towers was connected, completing a 12.3 kilometer over-sea section.
The entire bridge will be more than 21.27 kilometers long.
Unlike the proposed Alaskan “Bridge to Nowhere,” the Incheon Bridge definitely has a point.
Linking the Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island and the international business district of New Songdo City, the bridge has grabbed the attention of many locals for its potential to improve logistics in the metropolitan area, turning Korea into the Northeast Asian economic hub the government has long pursued.
People, including those who have worked on the bridge construction, say it serves as a source of hope, which Korea and many other countries are short on these days amid the biggest economic crisis in decades.
“What we are building is not just a bridge, we are building hope,” said construction worker Eom Sang-hyun, 51, while he cleared away machinery from the completed over-sea section.
Some believe that the project will go a long way to reviving the Korean economy, given the enormous resources poured into it.
According to the Samsung Joint Venture, a group of seven local builders formed for the project and led by Samsung Engineering and Construction, more than a million people have been mobilized for the project each year since construction began.
The number of pieces of heavy machinery used on the site has reached 100,000, including 27,500 large cranes and 52,000 tugboats.
The total length of steel rebar used is 127,000 meters, enough for 7,500 apartment units.
“Many of the workers here have sacrificed their time with their families for this project, but they think it’s worthwhile,” Chung said.
“We believe that this bridge, the world’s fifth-largest, will contribute to brightening the future for Korea,” he added.
Full Throttle and Full Speed Ahead
By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
A key aspect of Songdo IBD CityTalk will be commentary, breaking news, and first-hand accounts of the Songdo IBD project. We will try to minimize re-cycling news on Songdo IBD, except when we feel it will promote dialogue. I begin with some commentary.
Full Throttle
Reflecting on my trip to Korea last week, I did see concerns on the economy. For one, firms and businesses are more reserved this year with their holiday decorations. My contacts in many of Korea’s top Groups feel there will be some downsizing and layoffs—the first in ten years. Despite the global economic downturn, some leaders see opportunity. Hyundai-Kia Motors Chairman Chung Mong Koo last week noted the need for the company to “go full throttle” at a time when some in the industry are in turmoil. Chung noted Hyundai-Kia would focus on small cars and Green technology. Hyundai vowed to provide decent jobs and help the national economy.
Songdo IBD Full Speed Ahead
What did stand out last week was the huge concern that foreign investors are pulling out of Korea. Interestingly, this is not so with Songdo IBD. In contrast, the project is moving forward as planned. For example, 2009 will see the completion of the 7.4 mile Incheon Bridge along with the 1st phase of the Songdo IBD, including the 100 acre Central Park and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. To me, borrowing from the words of Chairman Stan Gale it looks like “ Full Speed Ahead,” for Gale International and Songdo IBD.
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