The retaining walls and sound barriers of the Gyeongin Expressway (currently Incheon-daero), which has divided downtown Incheon for over 50 years, are being dismantled and will disappear into history.
On the 5th, Incheon City held a ceremony to commemorate the demolition of the old Gyeongin Expressway retaining walls in the 1-1 phase section of the Incheon-daero generalization project in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu. It has been seven years since the city took over the Gyeongin Expressway from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2017 and began the generalization project.
A private construction company plans to start dismantling the retaining walls and sound barriers on both sides of the 1-1 phase section (1.8 km) from the Incheon starting point to the back gate of Inha University, beginning with the ceremony on that day.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is performing a retaining wall demolition ceremony along with Democratic Party lawmaker Heo Jong-sik and others at the "Old Gyeongin Expressway Retaining Wall Demolition Commemoration Ceremony" held on the 5th in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu. [Photo by Incheon City]
The city is promoting a project to remove the retaining walls and sound barriers along the 10.45 km section from the Incheon starting point of the old Gyeongin Expressway to Seoincheon IC, and to create parks, green spaces, and leisure areas in the central part. For urban regeneration, the city converted this section from an expressway to a general road in 2019 and named it 'Incheon-daero.'
Once the retaining walls and sound barriers are removed, parks, green spaces, and leisure areas will be created throughout Incheon-daero, and intersections will be installed like on general roads. In addition to the 1-1 phase section, construction began earlier this month on the 1-2 phase section (3 km) from the back gate of Inha University to Juan Industrial Complex. The entire 1st phase section of 4.8 km is planned to be completed by 2027.
The 2nd phase section (Juan Industrial Complex to Seoincheon IC), 5.65 km long, is preparing for construction orders with a target completion year of 2030. Considering that the aboveground road in the 2nd phase section will be reduced from six lanes to four lanes, a four-lane underground road will be constructed along the 4.5 km section from Gongdan Overpass to Seoincheon IC to reduce congestion.
Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, said, "The demolition of the old Gyeongin Expressway retaining walls will be a starting point to reconnect the long-divided downtown Incheon, restore citizens' living areas, and revitalize the deteriorated areas around the road."
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