[Report] Jinwol IC Construction Causes Morning Commute Chaos... Will It Be Resolved by Year-End?

Temporary Exit Ramp Lanes Too Narrow, Causing Bottlenecks
Severe Traffic Congestion Also Reported in Hwasan-ro, Nam-gu
Concerns Raised Over "Exit and Entrance Ramps Causing Vehicle Congestion and Accidents"

Around 8 a.m. on the 14th, a bottleneck is occurring from the two left-turn lanes to the entrance of the temporary Jinwol IC exit in the Hwasan-ro area of Jinwol-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Min Chanki

"Is it normal for traffic to be this bad just because of exit and entrance ramp construction? The morning commute is truly painful."

Around 8 a.m. on October 14th, in the Hwasan-ro area of Jinwol-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju.

Severe congestion continued at the exit ramp connecting the Second Ring Road and Hwasan-ro, with 10 to 20 vehicles stopped and waiting for the signal. This area is currently undergoing construction to open new exit and entrance ramps to improve access from Jinwol-dong to the Second Ring Road, a project led by Gwangju City. The entrance ramp from Hwasan-ro to the Second Ring Road is still under construction and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

On September 1st, the original three-lane exit ramp at Jinwol IC was closed, and now a temporary exit ramp with two left-turn lanes and one right-turn lane has been opened. Previously, for about a month, only one left-turn and one right-turn lane were in operation, but at the end of last month, an additional lane was added in response to persistent complaints about bottlenecks.

However, this did not fully resolve the bottleneck. The entrance ramp construction happening right next to the temporary exit ramp was expanded to facilitate the passage of freight vehicles, which resulted in the three-lane temporary exit ramp being only about 20 meters long and the entrance becoming narrower. As a result, during the morning rush hour, when about five vehicles stopped in the left-turn lane, the queue quickly extended past the entrance and onto the Second Ring Road, causing repeated standstills.

Kim, a 33-year-old resident of Jinwol-dong, Nam-gu, said, "There were no bottlenecks when using the original Jinwol IC exit ramp, but since the new exit was built, I end up spending more than 10 to 20 minutes on this road during the busy morning commute. The Second Ring Road and Hwasan-ro are routes used by hundreds of vehicles during rush hour. Shouldn't the project have taken existing traffic volumes into account?"

At around 8 a.m. on the 14th, a model driver is signaling vehicles to pass through the Hwasan-ro area in Jinwol-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Min Chanki

Traffic congestion was also constant in the lane from Gwangdeoksa Temple toward Hyodeok Elementary School. There are two traffic signals installed at the entrance and exit ramps of Jinwol IC, and they change to green and red at the same time. Because of this, vehicles quickly piled up from the exit ramp all the way to the rotary in front of the Nam-gu Multipurpose Gymnasium, causing a bottleneck. A model driver was signaling vehicles to pass even during the red light to ease the congestion.

Jin Yonglib, a 57-year-old model driver, explained, "Due to the exit and entrance ramps and the signal system in this area, traffic has been congested during the morning commute, so since last month, vehicle movement has been controlled from 7 to 10 a.m. On the opposite lane, vehicles can pass when the light is green, but on this lane (from Gwangdeoksa Temple to Hyodeok Elementary School), the signal does not change, so traffic is heavy and vehicles are allowed to pass even during the red light. I am not sure if the signal system has been pre-set to allow left turns once the entrance ramp construction is completed, but even a slight adjustment to the signals would greatly improve traffic flow during the morning commute."

Additionally, there are concerns that even after the entrance ramp is completed, it could still affect the flow of vehicles on the Second Ring Road. The section of the Second Ring Road near the Jinwol IC exit and entrance ramps, where construction is ongoing, experiences congestion stretching 2 to 3 kilometers every morning. If more vehicles are funneled in by the new entrance ramp, the congestion could worsen and the risk of traffic accidents could increase.

Jung Changsu, a member of the Nam-gu District Council in Gwangju, pointed out, "Although the construction of the Jinwol IC exit and entrance ramps was intended to improve residents' access to the Second Ring Road, it is questionable that not a single public hearing was held. If the construction is completed as it is, the exit ramp will cause traffic congestion, and the entrance ramp will lead to traffic accidents. Measures that take into account vehicle traffic volumes are necessary."

Regarding this, an official from the Gwangju City General Construction Headquarters stated, "Since the opening of the temporary exit ramp, complaints have increased. Starting this month, the exit ramp has been expanded from two to three lanes, and Hwasan-ro has been widened from four to six or seven lanes in both directions. Once the entrance ramp construction is completed by the end of this year, traffic congestion should decrease. We are also working with the National Police Agency to establish a coordinated traffic signal system."