Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway Passes Preliminary Feasibility Study... Target Opening in 2035

Upon Completion, the 224.3km Pyeongtaek~Samcheok East-West 6-Axis Expressway Will Be Finished
Gangwon's Largest SOC Project... Economic Impact Estimated at 13.7 Trillion KRW

The long-awaited construction project of the Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway, a long-standing wish of residents in the southern region of Gangwon Province, passed the preliminary feasibility study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the 23rd.

The Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway will connect Yeongwol-eup in Yeongwol-gun (Governor Choi Myung-seo), Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and Deungbong-dong in Samcheok-si (Mayor Park Sang-su). The total length is 70.3 km, with a total project cost of 5.6167 trillion KRW, making it the largest social overhead capital (SOC) project in Gangwon. The opening is targeted for 2035.

Map of the Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway section. Image by Seon Juseong / Naver Map

Once the Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway opens, travel time from Yeongwol to Samcheok and Donghae will be reduced by more than 20 minutes, and access to the metropolitan area will be possible within two hours.

The Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway is part of the East-West 6-axis Expressway, one of the national trunk road network plans announced by the government in 1996, connecting Pyeongtaek~Jecheon~Yeongwol~Samcheok.

Among the Pyeongtaek~Samcheok East-West 6-axis national trunk road network, the 127 km Pyeongtaek~Jecheon section is already open and operational, and the 29 km Jecheon~Yeongwol section is under design, with an opening targeted for 2032.

The Gangwon Research Institute analyzed that upon completion of the Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway, economic effects worth approximately 13.7 trillion KRW will be generated, including production inducement effects of 5.6586 trillion KRW, value-added inducement effects of 2.5356 trillion KRW, and employment inducement effects of 5.5139 trillion KRW.

Choi Myung-seo, Governor of Yeongwol-gun, stated, “With the confirmation of the Jecheon~Yeongwol Expressway project and the passing of the preliminary feasibility study for the Yeongwol~Samcheok Expressway, a transportation network directly connecting the East and West coasts will be completed, providing a stepping stone for Yeongwol-gun to leap forward as a hub city in southern Gangwon. We expect this to greatly improve the lives of local residents and significantly aid the county’s development.”

Additionally, Park Sang-su, Mayor of Samcheok-si, said, “This is truly welcome news like rain to Samcheok-si, which is facing the crisis of mine closures at the Dogye Mining Site and population extinction. We will continue to devote sustained attention and efforts for regional development until the expressway is completed.”