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It turned out that 58 of the soundproof tunnels across the country used acrylic materials, just like the soundproof tunnel on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway where five people lost their lives.

The government decided to change the materials of all of these tunnels by February next year and to adjust safety regulations related to soundproofing facilities.



This is Reporter Song Wook.



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Dark smoke fills the sky and flames soar terrifyingly in the soundproof tunnel.



The fire spreads rapidly along the ceiling of the soundproof tunnel, and sparks pour down like rain inside.



On December 29 last year, a fire in a soundproof tunnel on the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway killed 5 people and injured 44 others.



It was built of flammable PMMA, also known as acrylic material, and there was no exit in the tunnel, and one side of the entry blocking facility was inoperative.



As a result of the investigation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 58 of the 170 soundproof tunnels nationwide used PMMA materials, or 34%.



1,700 sound barriers were also built with the same material.



The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport first decided to replace the soundproof tunnel using PMMA material with polycarbonate or tempered glass, which are materials with high fire safety.



The replacement of soundproof tunnels on highways and national highways under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be completed by the end of this year, and those under the control of local governments by February next year.



The cost was estimated at at least 200 billion won.



Until replacement, it was decided to take temporary measures such as removing part of the upper or side soundproofing board and installing fire extinguishing equipment and entry blocking facilities.



Soundproof walls made of PMMA will be replaced after a comprehensive review of the existence of nearby houses.



The government plans to prepare design standards for soundproofing facilities to be installed in the future, such as prohibiting the use of PMMA materials and making it mandatory to install evacuation doors and emergency evacuation routes.



In addition, it was decided to include soundproof tunnels as 'specific firefighting objects' under the Firefighting Facility Act and to make it mandatory to install firefighting facilities equivalent to general tunnels.



(Video coverage: Park Young-il, video editing: Lee So-young)