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▶ Why is underground road construction necessary? The number of registered vehicles in Korea is 25.503 million (as of the end of 2022), and traffic congestion is severe due to the dense population in the metropolitan area. When I get in the car to go to my hometown during the holiday, my back already hurts thinking about the clogged roads. Then, why don't we just widen the roads? With limited space for highway expansion and difficulties in land acquisition, underground road construction is emerging as a new solution worldwide. ▶ Construction of the world's first underground road In the early 19th century, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all ships in the world passed through the Port of London. With thousands of ships lining up, the only alternative was to build an underground road. Richard Trevithick planned a tunnel under the Thames River, but after it was suspended twice due to flooding, a British court concluded that an underground tunnel was impossible. However, Marc Isambard Brunel developed the shield method inspired by the shipworm, and after many crises, completed the Thames Tunnel in 18 years. ▶ How can a huge underground road be dug in just a few years? The days of people digging tunnels with pickaxes or rock drills are over. The NATM method, which uses blasting to create a stable arch-shaped tunnel, and the TBM method, which uses the enormous excavation machine 'TBM' with a total of 30 million tons and a diameter of 14m. We closely examine the installation and construction processes of each method at the current Yangpyeong Icheon Tunnel construction site and the Paju Hangang Tunnel construction site in Korea. ▶ Concerns and solutions for underground roads We left for Spain to find out if safety can be assured amidst concerns about underground road construction such as various natural disasters and exhaust fumes. We visit the 'M-30', the longest tunnel among the underground highways in European cities at 48km, to examine disaster response methods, and suggest directions for the future of underground road construction. ※ This video is [Special - Underground] aired on December 3, 2023. #Traffic #Underground #Road