'Undergrounding of Gyeongin Expressway'... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Metropolitan Cities in the Seoul Capital Area Begin Active Moves

'Incheon-Seoul Underground Expressway' to Begin Construction in Early 2027 After Feasibility Secured
Gyeonggi Province, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Incheon City Sign Agreement on 30th
Discussion on Converting Upper Section to General Road and Creating Green Spaces and Parks

Sinwol-Yeouido Underground Road connecting Yeouido National Assembly Avenue in Seoul and Sinwol IC on Gyeongin Expressway [Photo by Kang Jin-hyung]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and metropolitan local governments in the Seoul Capital Area are set to actively promote the project to construct an underground section of the Gyeongin Expressway.

In particular, Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, and Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, previously met on the 2nd at Wolmido to discuss joint issues in the Seoul Capital Area and agreed on the need for collaborative efforts to establish a metropolitan transportation network.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 29th that it plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Incheon Metropolitan City on the 30th to promote the "Incheon-Seoul Underground Expressway Construction Project."

According to the province, the project involves constructing a 4 to 6-lane underground expressway spanning a total of 19.3 km from Namcheongra Interchange (IC) to Seoincheon IC to Sinwol IC, with approximately 14 km of the route being underground.

Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Incheon City will form a consultative body to discuss cooperation matters, including plans to convert the upper-level expressway into general roads dedicated to city traffic and to create green spaces and parks in the surplus space on the upper road.

If feasibility is secured, the "Incheon-Seoul Underground Expressway Construction Project" is expected to proceed through evaluation and design phases and could begin construction as early as the first half of 2027.

The province plans to collaborate with Bucheon City, through which the route passes, to ensure that the opinions of both Gyeonggi Province and Bucheon City are reflected in the project.

Lee Han-gyu, Deputy Governor for Administration of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Once completed, the Incheon-Seoul Underground Expressway, the first underground expressway project in Korea, will make commuting and interregional travel more convenient for residents of Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and Seoul. We will work together to ensure its early completion."