Uijeongbu City to Improve Traffic Flow at St. Mary's Hospital Intersection
Additional Straight-Through Lane Toward City Center to Be Secured Within This Year
The city of Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun) is pursuing a plan to add an additional lane at the intersection in front of St. Mary's Hospital to alleviate traffic congestion.
Traffic congestion at the intersection in front of Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital. Provided by Uijeongbu City
On May 15, Uijeongbu City announced its plan to secure one additional lane at the intersection in front of Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, where the major arterial roads Hoguk-ro and Sinpyeonghwa-ro meet, in order to resolve the traffic congestion issue.
The intersection in front of Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, located on the main arterial road Hoguk-ro, serves as a junction leading to major residential districts within the city, such as Minlak District. It is directly connected to Sinpyeonghwa-ro, an alternative bypass for National Road No. 3 in northern Gyeonggi Province, and functions as a key transportation hub linking to neighboring cities and counties including Pocheon, Yangju, and Dongducheon. The average daily vehicle traffic reaches approximately 6,300 vehicles per hour, resulting in chronic congestion.
On April 30, the city held the 22nd Traffic Policy Strategy Meeting to discuss improvement measures for this intersection. During the meeting, a proposal was presented to reduce the sidewalk width from the current 4.7 meters to 2 meters and to adjust lane spacing, thereby expanding the number of straight-through lanes from two to three.
Based on this plan, Uijeongbu City has completed consultations with the Uijeongbu Police Station and intends to finish the construction within this year. The city expects that adding an extra lane will accommodate up to approximately 50% more straight-through traffic.
Meanwhile, Uijeongbu City previously temporarily lifted the central bus-only lane on Sinpyeonghwa-ro, which improved traffic flow in the section by about 20%.
Mayor Kim Donggeun stated, "We will continue to do our utmost to create positive changes in the transportation environment that citizens can feel in their daily lives."
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