Participation Autonomy 21: "Honam Expressway Expansion Reveals Limits of Gwangju City Administration"

Expansion of Donggwangju?Gwangsan IC Section Begins After 30 Years
"Project Approved Overnight After Citing Fiscal Burden"

The expansion project for the Honam Expressway between Donggwangju IC and Gwangsan IC has commenced after 30 years, but local civic groups have strongly criticized the process. On September 23, Participation Autonomy 21 issued a statement saying, "The process was riddled with confusion and incompetence on the part of the Gwangju city administration."

On the morning of the 22nd, at the garden of the National Gwangju Museum in Buk-gu, guests including Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong, Korea Expressway Corporation President Ham Jinkyu, and Assemblymen Jeon Jinsook and Jung Junho participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the groundbreaking event of the Honam Expressway Donggwangju IC-Gwangsan IC expansion project. Provided by Gwangju City

The group pointed out, "The Honam Expressway expansion project was agreed upon in 2015, with Gwangju City and Korea Expressway Corporation each committing to cover 50 percent of the total project cost of 800 billion won. However, due to rising labor costs and other factors by the time construction began, the total cost was expected to reach 1 trillion won." The group further criticized, "Gwangju City has consistently opposed the project, citing budget shortfalls and concerns over fiscal soundness."

The group continued, "On July 1, Mayor Kang Gijeong reversed his previously negative stance and officially announced the project's implementation during a forum that was notified only one day in advance. This was an impulsive policy decision and a political choice made with reelection in mind. There was neither a rational explanation nor a sincere apology to citizens."

The group criticized, "Even in his congratulatory speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor Kang mentioned, 'Starting from 800 billion won, the cost will soon exceed 1 trillion won,' raising concerns about fiscal sustainability. Such remarks are incompetent and irresponsible coming from the highest decision-maker."

The group added, "Once again, it has been confirmed that Gwangju citizens are particularly unfortunate when it comes to their mayors. While citizens desire capable and open leadership, the lack of genuine competition in local politics means that next year's local elections do not offer much hope."

Meanwhile, the current expansion project will widen the 11.2-kilometer section between Donggwangju IC and Gwangsan IC from four lanes to six to eight lanes. This section is notorious as the worst bottleneck in the country, with an average of 140,000 vehicles passing through daily. The total project cost is 793.4 billion won, shared equally by Korea Expressway Corporation and Gwangju City. The project includes the construction of 12 soundproof tunnels and 20 new bridges, as well as the improvement of aging facilities. The construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2029.