Yesterday (29th), there was an unfortunate accident in which five people died in a fire in the soundproof tunnel of the 2nd Gyeongin Expressway in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do.
I read many articles that there are 52 such soundproof tunnels nationwide.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, there are 25 soundproof tunnels on privately funded highways, 9 on national highways, and 18 on highways managed by the Korea Expressway Corporation.
This tunnel was created to prevent the noise of vehicles running on the highway from spreading, and it is pointed out that such a soundproof tunnel, like this fire, can cause a large fire.
This is because fire can spread in all directions through the tunnel ceiling, and a large amount of toxic gases can be generated because it is made of a kind of reinforced plastic.
However, it is said that there is a strong tendency among citizens to prefer soundproof tunnels instead of soundproof walls to properly block noise.
According to Article 10 of the Framework Act on Environmental Policy, the roadside noise standards near general residential and semi-residential areas are 65 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night.