Gwangju City Completes Pothole Repairs for First Half of Year... 14.7 Billion Won Invested

19 Major Roads, 31.8 km to Be Repaved

Road resurfacing construction material photo. Provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju City will complete the repaving of 19 major roads and pothole-prone sections damaged by winter road depressions (potholes) within the first half of the year, creating a safe and pleasant road environment.

According to the city on the 25th, a total project budget of 14.7 billion KRW will be invested in road repaving and related works in the first half of this year, with the aim of completing the pothole repair projects.

The city will first spend 8.8 billion KRW to fully repair 31.8 km (approximately 127 km in single-lane equivalent) of 19 major roads, including four expressways such as Hanam Jingok Industrial Complex Road and Bitgoeul Boulevard, and 15 general roads such as Sangmu Boulevard and Eodeung Boulevard. The plan is to concentrate repaving works by the end of April and complete all construction by the end of June.

Previously, the city established a database of pothole repair locations, classified the occurrence status and damage types by route, and determined the areas for full-scale repairs. Additionally, for "small-scale pothole-prone sections" scattered throughout the roads, emergency repair teams were deployed for urgent pothole repairs and partial repaving is planned. In fact, this year, the city formed emergency pothole repair teams consisting of 27 members in nine groups, operating 24 hours a day regardless of day or night, and repaired 13,767 potholes as of the 21st.

Potholes have been increasing during winter due to heavy snowfall caused by climate change. Over the past three years, the number of road depressions on roads (four lanes or more, both ways) managed by Gwangju City has sharply increased: 10,429 cases in 2022, 23,448 in 2023, 33,822 in 2024, and 13,767 as of March 21, 2025. Accordingly, the city’s road maintenance budget has also risen annually, with 7.8 billion KRW in 2022, 10.6 billion KRW in 2023, 9.4 billion KRW in 2024, and 14.7 billion KRW in 2025.

Shin Jaeuk, Director of the General Construction Headquarters, emphasized, "This winter, the number of snowy days decreased and our proactive response led to a 2% reduction in potholes and a 67% decrease in accidents compared to the same period last year. We will do our best to complete repaving and restoration works within the first half of the year to minimize inconvenience for road users and ensure citizen safety."