Yeongwol-Samcheok Expressway and Seohae Line-Gyeongbu High-Speed Rail Connection Project Pass Preliminary Feasibility Study
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 23rd at the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee meeting that the Incheon?Seoul underground expressway construction project has passed the preliminary feasibility study. It was also decided to proceed with the Yeongwol?Samcheok expressway and the Seohae Line?Gyeongbu high-speed rail connection project.
The Incheon?Seoul underground expressway is a project to build a new 15.3 km, 4-lane underground expressway connecting Cheongna-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, to Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. The route will be constructed beneath the existing Gyeongin Expressway. Initially planned as a private investment project, it was changed to a public-funded project in 2020. The preliminary feasibility study began in June 2022 and has now passed. The project involves constructing a new 4-lane road with an estimated cost of 1.378 trillion KRW (based on the feasibility study).
The Ministry explained, "The project will increase road capacity to alleviate the worsening traffic congestion on the Gyeongin Expressway and will be designed to accommodate future traffic volume increases due to development plans such as the 3rd New Towns and Cheongna International Business District."
Gyeongin Expressway Seoincheon IC
Location map of Incheon~Seoul Underground Expressway. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Some sections of the surface area will be converted into parks. The government expects this to resolve issues related to urban division and aesthetics. Additionally, considering the Third Interconnection Bridge linking Cheongna, Incheon, and Yeongjong Island, this is expected to become the fastest road connecting Seoul and Incheon International Airport.
The Yeongwol?Samcheok expressway is a 70.3 km road connecting Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol-gun, and Deungbong-dong, Samcheok-si. It is a project to build a new 4-lane road with an estimated cost of 5.6167 trillion KRW (based on the feasibility study). The government expects it to reduce travel time from 120 minutes to 50 minutes when using the existing National Route 38. It is anticipated to enhance regional industrial competitiveness and promote tourism. Accessibility from the Seoul metropolitan area to the southern Gangwon region is expected to improve.
Location map of Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The Seohae Line?Gyeongbu high-speed rail connection project involves constructing a new 7.35 km railway connecting Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong, enabling high-speed train operation over 214.8 km from Iksan through Gunsan and Hongseong to Yongsan. The study began in September 2023 and has now passed.
This will allow passengers to use KTX from the West Coast region to Seoul without transfers. Travel time will be reduced from 2 hours 18 minutes to 1 hour 34 minutes. The Ministry plans to prepare the basic plan as soon as possible, proceed with basic and detailed design next year, start construction in 2028, and aim for opening in 2032.
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