Daegu City Begins Construction of Ansim Hi-Pass IC on Gyeongbu Expressway ... Agreement with Korea Expressway Corporation

Connecting Highways Without Urban Detours in Innovation City

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] A Hi-Pass exclusive interchange (IC) connecting directly to the Gyeongbu Expressway without passing through the congested downtown area will be newly established around 2024 in the eastern region of Daegu where the Innovation City is located.

On the 2nd, Daegu City announced that it has signed an agreement with Korea Expressway Corporation regarding the installation of the Ansim Hi-Pass exclusive IC and has commenced the new construction project. The agreement states that Korea Expressway Corporation will bear 50% of the operating facility installation and construction costs, while Daegu City will cover the remaining 50% of the construction costs and compensation fees.

Currently, citizens of Daegu Innovation City and the Ansim area experience inconvenience as they must detour over 8 km on Ansim-ro, which is severely congested, taking more than 15 minutes to reach Dongdaegu IC to use the Gyeongbu Expressway. For this reason, over 3,500 residents from 12 public institutions, including Korea Gas Corporation, located in Innovation City, have continuously requested the installation of the IC.

Accordingly, Daegu City, having completed a feasibility study on the Ansim Hi-Pass IC last April, will proceed with the design phase in the second half of the year based on the agreement with Korea Expressway Corporation. It will take approximately four years from the start of design to the completion of construction. The opening is expected around 2024.

Once the Ansim Hi-Pass IC opens, the detour distance between Dongdaegu IC and Innovation City will be reduced from 8 km to 2.5 km, and the parallel travel time is expected to shorten from 15 minutes to 5 minutes.

Yoon Jeong-hee, Director of the Daegu City Transportation Bureau, stated, "With the opening of the Ansim Hi-Pass IC, about 16,000 vehicles currently using Dongdaegu IC will be distributed to the new IC, improving highway accessibility not only for Innovation City but also for the entire Ansim area. This will reduce traffic congestion, enhance transportation convenience for residents, and contribute to revitalizing the local economy."