Mott MacDonald is assisting Yooshin Engineering Corporation in
supervising the construction of a US$1.6 billion fixed link from
the Korean mainland near Busan to the island of Geoje.
This island is heavily populated and home to a number of Korea’s
major shipyards. The existing route from Busan around the coast
will be significantly reduced in length by the new crossing.
Bridge pylons under construction January '08
The project includes two cable stayed bridges, one with a main span
of 475m and the other an unusual 3-pylon structure with two,
back-to-back 230m spans. Foundations for the bridges are mostly
large caissons, precast on shore and floated into position.
Together with an immersed tube tunnel 3.7km long, the total
crossing length is 8.2km. The rectangular dual 2-lane undersea
tunnel will be one of the longest and deepest in the world and will
require extensive ground improvement. An existing small island will
form the transition between the tunnel and the approach spans for
the bridge section of the crossing.
The project is being implemented along the lines of the privately
financed BOT(Build Operate Transfer) model. Work started in
December 2004 and is due to be completed in December 2010, to be
followed by a 40 year operating concession period.
View of the scheme looking north, with the bridges
in the foreground, the tunnel on the right and the new docks and
the city of Busan in the background
