Paju-si Secures 13 Billion KRW in National Funds for Improvement of Dangerous National Roads and Bottleneck Points

Expansion of National Route 77 Dangdong Interchange Seoul-bound Ramp Section and National Route 37 Dangdong-ri Direction Section
Total Project Cost Changed from 2 Billion KRW to 13 Billion KRW... Through Paju City's Persistent Persuasion Efforts

National Route 77 Dangdong Interchange Seoul-bound Ramp Section.

On the 11th, Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced that it has secured 13 billion KRW in national funding to resolve bottleneck sections on National Route 77 and National Route 37.

This project is included in the "7th Phase (2023-2027) Basic Plan for Improvement of Dangerous Roads and Bottleneck Points on National Routes," established and promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In Paju, the plan includes expanding the 650m ramp section toward Seoul at the Dangdong Interchange on National Route 77 from one lane to two lanes, as well as improving and expanding a 900m section toward Dangdong-ri on National Route 37.

Initially, only the expansion plan for the 650m ramp section toward Seoul at the Dangdong Interchange on National Route 77 was reflected in the Ministry’s basic plan for improving dangerous roads and bottleneck points within Paju, with a total budget of 2 billion KRW. However, due to Paju City's strong requests and persuasive efforts, the project was revised to include the expansion and improvement of National Route 37 as well, increasing the total budget to 13 billion KRW.

Paju City has focused on highlighting that not only National Route 77 but also the section of National Route 37, which connects Jayuro (National Route 77) to northern Gyeonggi areas such as Yangju and Dongducheon and further to Gangwon Province, is experiencing increased traffic and freight volumes. This is due to large-scale housing construction projects around Munsan-eup town center, the establishment of general industrial complexes, and the development of former U.S. military return sites, all contributing to continuous population inflow, resulting in worsening traffic congestion and accident risks.

Persistent on-site inspections and tireless persuasion efforts were made, including visits with officials from the Uijeongbu Regional Land Management Office so that Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officials could directly perceive the urgent need for expansion and improvement. As a result, on the 11th of last month, the revised total project budget proposal, fully reflecting Paju City's requests, passed the review committee.

Kim Kyung-il, Mayor of Paju City, stated, "With the increased project budget, we have an opportunity to resolve traffic issues such as bottlenecks around the Dangdong Interchange, improve traffic flow in major congestion sections, enhance transportation convenience, and strengthen regional connectivity. We expect this to greatly improve Paju’s traffic environment and significantly contribute to regional development."