Will Ulsan Bridge Toll Increase?… Ulsan City Deliberates on Possible Hike

Consumer Price Index ↑, Need for Toll Adjustment ↑

Concerns Over Citizen Burden, Final Decision by End of March

Tolls for the Ulsan Bridge are expected to increase.

On the 13th, Ulsan City announced that it is considering whether to raise the ‘Ulsan Bridge and connecting road tolls’ ahead of the scheduled adjustment on April 1.

The tolls for the Ulsan Bridge and connecting roads are adjusted every April 1 based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, according to an agreement with the private operator, Ulsan Harbor Bridge.

Currently, toll collection is applied to two routes: △the entire section (Maeam Interchange ~ Yeomposan Tollgate) and △the Ulsan Bridge section (Maeam Interchange ~ Old Tollgate). The Yeomposan Tunnel section (Asan-ro ~ Yeomposan Tollgate) has been free of charge since January 1 of this year.

Current Toll Fees by Section on Ulsan Bridge.

Since the opening of the Ulsan Bridge and connecting roads on June 1, 2015, tolls have been frozen for five years after a single increase in 2017.

Despite factors warranting toll increases due to inflation, Ulsan City compensated the operator for losses to minimize the burden on citizens.

However, since the Yeomposan Tunnel section became free in January this year, the financial burden on Ulsan City to compensate the operator has significantly increased. Furthermore, due to increased traffic volume in the Yeomposan Tunnel section after the toll removal, future compensation costs are expected to rise further.

According to Statistics Korea, the Consumer Price Index rose by 5.1% in 2022 compared to the previous year, a sharp increase compared to 0.5% in 2020 and 2.5% in 2021, which is pressuring the toll increase.

An official from Ulsan City stated, “Since the opening of the Ulsan Bridge, we have tried to suppress toll increases as much as possible, but this year, due to the significant rise in the Consumer Price Index, a toll increase is inevitable. However, since this may increase the burden on citizens, we will carefully review the city’s financial conditions and decide on whether to raise tolls by the end of March.”