Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway Cuts 43 Minutes Through Noryeong Mountains... Logistics Golden Route Opens [Report]

First Expressway Directly Links to Inland Economic Zone
Starting Point of the Korean Peninsula’s “Third East-West Artery”
Opening in November... 55 km Section Includes 7 Tunnels
"Safety First, Completing the National Logistics Axis"

A panoramic view of Godeok 1 Tunnel constructed on the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway section. It is a long tunnel with a total length of 1.2 km passing through the Noryeong Mountain Range. Korea Expressway Corporation

The expressway connecting Saemangeum, a land reclaimed from the West Sea, and Jeonju, the central city of North Jeolla Province, will open on November 21. This comes seven years and six months after construction first began in 2018. By tunneling through the Noryeong Mountain Range, the new route is 7.7 km shorter and reduces travel time by 43 minutes compared to the existing national highway. As Saemangeum, long referred to as the "unfinished land," becomes directly linked to the inland economic zone 34 years after the start of the reclamation project, the pace of industrial, logistics, and tourism development is expected to accelerate significantly.

On the morning of September 11, at the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway bridge construction site in Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, North Jeolla Province, final preparations were underway on the four-lane expressway, which has already been paved and is nearing completion. Sangjun Lee, the site manager from Namkwang Construction, which is responsible for this section, stated, "The current progress rate is 97.5%. We will finish installing guardrails and soundproof walls by the end of this month, and complete sign installation and lane painting by next month, ensuring there are no delays in the scheduled opening."

Grid-type Transportation Network to Boost Logistics and Investment... 201.8 Billion Won in Annual Social Benefits

Sangjun Lee, site manager of Namkwang Construction, explained the progress of the project on the 11th at the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway Iseo Junction construction site in Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk. The Honam Expressway can be seen below. Photo by Seoyoon Choi

Directly beneath the bridge, the Honam Expressway stretches out in a cross shape. This location, where the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway crosses the Honam Expressway, is the Iseo Junction. Vehicles coming from Jeonju merge onto the Honam Expressway via the ramp, while vehicles traveling on the Honam Expressway can enter the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway using the ramp in the opposite direction.

The Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway connects with four expressways, including the Honam Expressway. At Seogimje Junction, it connects with the Seohaean Expressway; at Wansan Junction, with the Suncheon-Wanju Expressway; and at Sanggwan Junction, with the Iksan-Jangsu Expressway. This creates a grid-type transportation network at the heart of North Jeolla Province, enabling direct travel from Saemangeum to both the Seoul metropolitan area and the Yeongnam region.

Once this route opens, the four expressways and the East-West Arterial Road No. 2 within Saemangeum will be linked, allowing goods produced in the Saemangeum International Cooperation Zone and the National Industrial Complex to flow directly into the nationwide distribution network. The reduction in travel time and logistics costs will not only help attract companies and investors to Saemangeum, but is also expected to greatly improve access to key facilities such as the Saemangeum New Port and the Smart Waterfront City.

Park Beomchan, head of the Saemangeum-Jeonju Construction Project Division at Korea Expressway Corporation, which is overseeing the project, said, "This is a core infrastructure that will realize the potential of Saemangeum. We expect annual social benefits of 201.8 billion won from reduced travel time, lower logistics costs, and fewer traffic accidents."

A view of the Seogimje Junction on the Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway. This is the point where the expressway, starting from the Saemangeum Seawall, connects to the Seohaean Expressway. Korea Expressway Corporation

Eight Sections and Major Construction Companies Mobilized... 97% Progress Rate

The Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway is a key route forming the third east-west axis of the national arterial road network. Of the total 298 km stretch from Saemangeum to Pohang, the Saemangeum-Jeonju section is being constructed between Jinbong-myeon in Gimje City (Saemangeum Seawall) and Sanggwan-myeon in Wanju-gun, North Jeolla Province. The project includes seven tunnels-such as the 3.8 km Sanggwan Tunnel and the 3.6 km Wansan Tunnel-and 105 bridges.

There will be four junctions (Seogimje, Iseo, Wansan, Sanggwan) and three interchanges (Saemangeum, Bukgimje, Namjeonju). The design speed is 100 km/h, and four rest areas will be built in both directions along the Gimje-Jeonju section. The total project cost amounts to approximately 2.74 trillion won. The Gimje-Wanju Hi-Pass Interchange will be additionally installed by 2027, with the costs shared by Gimje City and Wanju-gun.

A view of the four-lane Saemangeum-Jeonju Expressway, scheduled to open this November. Korea Expressway Corporation

The construction was divided into eight sections. A total of 37 companies participated, including GS Engineering & Construction (Section 1), Lotte Engineering & Construction (Section 2), Kyeryong Construction Industrial (Section 3), Namkwang Construction (Section 4), DL Construction (Sections 5 and 6), DL E&C (Section 7), and Doosan Engineering & Construction (Section 8). The overall progress rate has now reached 97%.

Upon completion, the travel time from Saemangeum to Jeonju will be reduced from 1 hour 16 minutes to 33 minutes, and the distance from 62.8 km to 55.1 km. Ahn Heejun, head of Construction Management Division 1 at the Saemangeum-Jeonju Construction Project Division of Korea Expressway Corporation, said, "We will prioritize safety until the very end as we prepare for the opening."