The Disappearance of Lane Markings with Obesity - Blamed on Shoddy Construction?

There have been criticisms that the selection process of lane marking and painting contractors by the Korea Expressway Corporation has led to subpar construction. During the parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, it was pointed out that the issue of poor construction of highway lane markings was not due to vision problems when it was hard to see the markings in the rain, but rather a problem of corruption.

 

These cases highlight that subpar construction of road facilities is a serious issue directly related to safety and the lives of the people.

 

In August of this year, 34 companies and 69 individuals involved were referred to the prosecution on charges of substandard construction through a rental scheme for lane marking work commissioned by the corporation in 2021.

 

These companies are accused of pocketing illicit profits of 12.3 billion KRW by mixing the cheaper product, glass beads, during the lane marking process.

 

While the standard product costs 7,200 KRW per kilogram, the cheaper alternative is sold for about 3,500 KRW per kilogram. It is known that the substandard construction companies used a mixture of these two products in ratios like 8:2 for the application.

 

Using the low-cost glass beads can reduce the brightness of lane markings below the standard, making it difficult to identify them in rainy conditions.

 

"This is fundamentally about earning money at the expense of the lives of the people. We need to uproot this issue," emphasized the need for clear punishment for companies involved in substandard lane marking due to the use of glass beads, adding, "We must ensure that such incidents do not occur again."

 

Furthermore, it was pointed out, "The majority of substandard construction companies do not have specialized equipment and borrow all their painting equipment from the 23 companies that own them," and emphasized the need for regulations restricting bidding to companies with their own equipment.

 

These cases highlight that subpar construction of road facilities is a serious issue directly related to safety and the lives of the people. It underscores the urgent need for a thorough review and improvement in this regard.