Yeongdo Bridge in Busan has returned to its original form as a drawbridge, 47 years after its deck stopped moving. The Busan Metropolitan City Government on Wednesday held a ceremony to mark the restoration of the bascule bridge.

The bridge was built in 1934 to connect the mainland and Yeongdo Island, the first such bridge in the city’s history. It was also Korea’s first bascule bridge with a single moveable section.

The bridge is said to have been built by Japanese colonial occupiers to transport supplies seized from Koreans. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were mobilized to build it.

During the Korean War (1950-1953), numerous refugees gathered at the bridge to reunite with lost family and friends.

However, it lost its luster as a city landmark in 1980 when a modern bridge was constructed to link Busan to Yeongdo. In 2003, it was deemed dangerous and almost torn down. However, Busan designated it a municipal monument in 2006 and started its restoration after demolition in 2010. The bridge has been widened from a total of four lanes to six.

When the bridge was first built, a 31.3-meter section closer to Busan was lifted two to seven times a day. The span movement stopped in September 1966 due to heavy traffic and running water pipes installed beneath it.

About 3,000 people including Busan Mayor Hur Nam-shik watched a ceremonial lift on Wednesday. As the bridge deck was raised, firefighting boats passed beneath, firing colorful water cannons to celebrate the dedication.

It took about four minutes for the leaf to be raised and two more minutes for it to lower back into place.

Crowds of people then entered the bridge from either side and met around the middle.

Some 70,000 citizens packed the roads near the bridge to watch the bascule swing upward.

The bridge will be raised 75 degrees to provide clearance for traffic of 1,000-ton boats once a day for 15 minutes at noon. Vehicle traffic will be controlled during that time.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)