Hwaseong City, 1.4 Times the Size of Seoul, Opens Era of 30-Minute Road Travel

Promotion of 'Naebusunhwan Road Network'... Expected to Resolve Regional Imbalances
Connecting Balan~Namyang, Maesong~Dongtan, Hyangnam~Osan Expressways

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province, which is 1.4 times the size of Seoul, is set to build an 'internal circular road network' that allows travel between major areas within 30 minutes.

On the 6th, Hwaseong City announced plans to drastically reduce travel time within the region by investing a total of 1.7 trillion KRW to establish the 'Hwaseong Internal Circular Road Network,' connecting major new towns and hubs in the east, west, south, and north.

The internal circular road network proposed by the city includes three routes: Balan~Namyang, Hwaseong~Osan, and Maesong~Dongtan expressways, linking major new towns and hubs across the east, west, south, and north.

This plan is based on the assessment that expanding road and railway networks is urgent for balanced development and improved mobility in a city spanning 844㎢, which is 1.4 times the size of Seoul.

Regarding the 'Balan~Namyang Expressway,' the project is expected to get on track as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s Private Investment Deliberation Committee reviewed and approved the implementation agreement in July. This route involves constructing a four-lane, two-way road exclusively for vehicles from Hyangnam District to Namyang New Town. The project will require an investment of 446.3 billion KRW. The city plans to start construction in 2026 and open the road in 2029. Once completed, travel time between Hyangnam, Namyang, and Ansan is expected to be reduced from the current 40 minutes to about 20 minutes, helping to disperse traffic in the southwestern metropolitan area.

The 'Maesong~Dongtan Expressway' will connect Bongdam New Town and the planned Jinan New Town via the shortest route. Once the road network is completed, travel time from Maesong through Jinan to Dongtan Samsung Campus will be cut nearly in half, from 50 minutes to 26 minutes. It will be constructed as a 10 km extension with four lanes in both directions, linked to the existing Bibong~Maesong urban expressway. The target opening year is 2033.

The 'Hwaseong~Osan Expressway' will connect the southern part of Hwaseong City from Hyangnam District to Geumam-dong in Osan City, running east to west. The total length is planned to be 13 km with four lanes in both directions. The city explains that once the road opens, travel time between Hyangnam and Dongtan will be reduced from the 70-minute range to the 30-minute range. The road is scheduled to open in 2031.

Jung Myung-geun, mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "Once the internal circular road network is established, it will open an era of 30-minute travel across the east, west, south, and north of Hwaseong City," adding, "We will steadily push forward with the circular road network project to lay the foundation for Hwaseong as a special balanced development city."

Meanwhile, Hwaseong City is also focusing on expanding its railway network. In addition to eight lines currently under design or construction, including the Seohae Line, Shinansan Line, and Dongtan-Indeokwon Line, the city is planning and conceptualizing eight more lines such as the Southern Gyeonggi East-West Transversal Line and the extension of the GTX C Line to Byeongjeom.