Included as a Target Project for the 6th National Road and National Highway Construction Plan (2026-2030) on the 23rd
Preliminary Feasibility Study to Be Completed in the Second Half of This Year... Final Plan to Reflect Project by Year-End If Passed
The construction project of the Garorim Bay Marine Bridge on National Road No. 38, a long-cherished wish of the residents of Taean County, Chungnam for 50 years, is expected to gain momentum as it has been included in the "6th National Road and National Local Road Construction Plan Preliminary Feasibility Study." The photo shows Governor Ga Sero holding a press conference at the Taean County Office briefing room on the 23rd. /Taean=Photo by Choi Byungmin
The construction project for the Garorimman sea bridge on National Road No. 38, a long-cherished wish of the residents of Taean County, Chungnam for 50 years, has been included as a target for the '6th National Road and National Highway Construction Plan Preliminary Feasibility Study,' signaling a green light for the project's advancement.
On the 23rd, Taean County Mayor Ga Se-ro held an emergency press conference at the county office briefing room and announced that the bridge construction project on National Road No. 38 was included in the list of projects for the '6th National Road and National Highway Construction Plan Preliminary Feasibility Study' requested by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
If the economic analysis (B/C) from the preliminary feasibility study meets government standards, the Garorimman sea bridge project on National Road No. 38 is expected to be included in the government's '6th National Road and National Highway Construction Five-Year Plan' scheduled for the end of this year, making the long-awaited wish of over 60,000 county residents more tangible.
The Garorimman bridge project aims to connect Mandae Port in Naeri, Iwon-myeon, Taean County, which is blocked by the sea, to Dokgot-ri, Daesan-eup, Seosan City. The project involves constructing a 2.5km sea bridge and a 2.8km connecting road, totaling 5.3km. The estimated project cost is approximately 264.7 billion KRW.
Once completed, the distance between Iwon and Daesan will be reduced from the current 70km to 2.5km, shortening travel time by over 1 hour and 30 minutes and providing a foundation for Taean County to grow into a city comparable to the metropolitan area.
The county believes this project will be the final piece of the Gwanggaeto Mega Project, which has continued since the 7th popularly elected administration. Led by Mayor Ga Se-ro, the county has continuously visited relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements to emphasize the necessity of the project.
In particular, on October 15 and November 29 last year, Mayor Ga met with National Assembly Land Committee Chairman Maeng Sung-kyu and National Assembly Budget Committee member Ahn Do-geol, respectively. More recently, he met with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to propose the selection of this project as a target for the 6th National Road and National Highway Construction Plan, receiving positive responses.
In June 2021, the county achieved the reclassification of National Road No. 38 as a national road, providing the legal basis for the bridge construction.
Since then, to ensure smooth progress of the project, the county has conducted feasibility and B/C re-verification for the bridge construction and argued for exemption from the preliminary feasibility study. Residents of Iwon-myeon and Wonbuk-myeon also demonstrated their strong desire for the sea bridge by delivering a petition with 4,015 signatures to Chungnam Governor Kim Tae-heum.
This preliminary feasibility study is scheduled to be completed in the second half of this year. If the National Road No. 38 sea bridge project passes the study, it is expected to be included in the 6th National Road and National Highway Construction Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) at the end of this year after consultations between the Ministry of Economy and Finance and related ministries and deliberation by the Road Policy Deliberation Committee.
Mayor Ga Se-ro stated, "The construction of the Garorimman bridge is essential to connect the separated Garorimman and establish a national industrial and tourism road network on the west coast," adding, "Beyond simple economic logic, the project is absolutely necessary to secure the survival rights of county residents and promote balanced national development."
He continued, "The construction of the Mandae Bridge is a 50-year wish of Taean residents, the final piece of the 'Gwanggaeto Mega Project' under the 7th and 8th popularly elected administrations, and a project that will drastically reduce the Iwon-Daesan section from 70km to 2.5km and significantly shorten travel time, making it a matter of fate for Taean. We will do our utmost together with county officials to ensure we pass the preliminary feasibility study expected in September."
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