BUSAN — A project to build three bridges across the Nakdong River estuary in Busan is likely to become the subject of a public-interest audit, amid disputes over its environmental impact assessment and feasibility. The large infrastructure project, which the Busan Metropolitan Government has pursued to relieve traffic congestion in the city's western district, has again been caught between ecological conservation and development needs.
The National Citizens' Action to Protect the Nakdong River Estuary held a press conference at the Busan Metropolitan Council briefing room on the 16th and said it will petition the Board of Audit and Inspection for a public-interest audit of the three bridge projects. The group alleged that permit procedures were based on manipulated feasibility findings, and that the Busan city government, the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office and the Korea Heritage Service stood by as the environment and cultural heritage were damaged. The environmental impact assessment was poorly conducted and traffic volume projections were exaggerated, the group said.
The group plans to hold another press conference in front of the Board of Audit and Inspection and submit its petition at the end of this month at the earliest, or in early October at the latest. It said the audit request is intended to examine whether administrative procedures and reviews of environmental and cultural heritage issues were appropriate.
Busan is pushing the three bridges to ease chronic traffic congestion in the western part of the city and to link the downtown area with major development zones such as Eco Delta City. The city says the project will improve mobility between areas separated by the Nakdong River and expand the road network in the western district. Completion is targeted for around 2030.
But because the Nakdong estuary is a core ecological corridor and a migratory bird habitat, environmental groups have objected since the early stages of the project. Concerns have been raised that the habitats of key species, including whooper swans and the scarce chaser dragonfly, could be damaged, and related lawsuits are continuing.
