As a prolonged heat wave sweeps the country and heat-related illness cases surge, Seoul's Songpa-gu has installed a "Clean Road system" along Songpa-daero to lower urban temperatures and reduce fine dust — marking the first full-scale operation of the initiative.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 99 people visited emergency rooms nationwide with heat-related illnesses on Saturday alone. The Korea Meteorological Administration also issued a heat advisory for southeastern Seoul that day, signaling the start of scorching conditions hot enough to bake road surfaces.
In preparation for the summer heat, the district completed installation of the Clean Road system late last year along an approximately 310-meter stretch from the Songpa Station intersection to the Songpa underground underpass. After a trial run in April, the system entered full operation in mid-June.
The Clean Road system uses automated spray nozzles mounted on road median barriers to douse road surfaces with water. The spraying cools the pavement and washes away fine dust stirred up by passing vehicles, helping to improve air quality in the urban core.
Operation is adjusted based on weather conditions. When fine-dust reduction measures or heat advisories are in effect, the system automatically sprays water one to four times a day, with the frequency set to increase depending on conditions.
Songpa-daero is a major arterial road linking Gwangjin-gu and Seongnam, lined with large apartment complexes and commercial facilities that draw heavy foot traffic. The district is advancing a "walkable street garden" project along the corridor — creating amenities such as "The Sphere," a lake bridge observation deck, pocket parks and "The Trophy" — as part of a broader push to transform the area into a pedestrian-centered green district.
The Clean Road system is expected to contribute to that vision by cutting urban heat and fine dust to create a more comfortable walking environment.
Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said the district would "operate the Clean Road system effectively to reduce the urban heat island effect and fine dust, and build a pleasant urban environment where residents can go about their daily lives with peace of mind — making Songpa an even better place to live."
Alongside the Clean Road system, Songpa-gu is pursuing a comprehensive heat-relief strategy. The district is operating a heat-wave situation management center, maintaining cooling shelters, keeping the district office open around the clock, expanding cooling-fog installations and smart shade structures, and carrying out road watering when heat advisories are issued — a wide-ranging response to the ongoing heat emergency.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
