As of 6 p.m., Travel Times Between Seoul and Major Cities
On October 6, the day of Chuseok, major highways across the country continued to experience heavy congestion in the afternoon as many vehicles returned to the capital.
According to Korea Expressway Corporation, as of 6:00 p.m. on this day, the estimated travel time by car from major city tollgates nationwide to Seoul was 5 hours and 50 minutes from Mokpo, 5 hours and 40 minutes from Gwangju, 5 hours and 30 minutes from Busan, 5 hours and 10 minutes from Ulsan, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Daegu, 3 hours and 30 minutes from Daejeon, and 3 hours from Gangneung.
Conversely, the estimated travel time from Seoul to major cities nationwide was 5 hours and 30 minutes to Busan, 5 hours and 10 minutes to Ulsan, 4 hours and 30 minutes to both Gwangju and Daegu, 4 hours and 10 minutes to Mokpo, 2 hours and 50 minutes to Daejeon, and 2 hours and 40 minutes to Gangneung.
On the Gyeongbu Expressway toward Seoul, vehicles were moving slowly in several sections: 3 km near Waegwan to Chilgok Service Area, 15 km from Yeongdong to near Okcheon Tunnel 3, 10 km from Okcheon to Daejeon, 28 km from Cheongju to Mokcheon, 24 km from Cheonan to Anseong Service Area, and 12 km from Geumto Junction to Banpo.
Toward Busan, congestion was observed in the following sections: 9 km from Bukcheonan to Cheonan, 2 km from Cheonan Junction to Mokcheon, 4 km near Cheonan Hodoo Service Area, 14 km from Nami Junction to Jookam Service Area, 10 km from Okcheon Service Area to Okcheon Tunnel 4, 1 km at Dong Gimcheon IC, 12 km from Namgumi to Chilgok Logistics, 1 km at Kumho Junction, 13 km from Gyeongju to Hwalcheon, and 7 km from Seoulju Junction to Tongdosa Service Area.
On the Seohaean Expressway toward Seoul, congestion was reported in the following sections: 8 km from Gochang to Seonunsan, 13 km from Donggunsan to Dongseocheon Junction, 3 km near Gwangcheon, 22 km from Dangjin Junction to Seohae Bridge, 5 km from Maesong Service Area to Palgok Junction, and 4 km from Iljik Junction to Geumcheon.
On the Jungbu Expressway toward Hanam, vehicles were moving slowly for 4 km near Seocheongju, 11 km from Jincheon Tunnel to Jincheon, 10 km from Iljuk to Moga, and 12 km from Gyeonggi Gwangju Junction to Jungbu Tunnel 1.
On the Yeongdong Expressway toward Gangneung, congestion was seen in the following sections: 7 km from Banwol Tunnel to Bugok, 5 km from Maseong Tunnel to Yongin, and 4 km from Yeoju Service Area to Yeoju Junction.
On the Gyeongin Expressway toward Seoul, traffic was slow for 1 km in the Sinwol section.
The corporation projected that congestion in the homebound direction would ease between 11:00 p.m. and midnight on October 7. For the return-to-Seoul direction, congestion is expected to clear between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on October 7.
On this day, nationwide traffic volume is expected to reach about 6.67 million vehicles. Of these, the corporation estimates that 490,000 vehicles will travel from the Seoul metropolitan area to other regions, and 480,000 vehicles will move from other regions to the Seoul metropolitan area.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
