Hanam City to Invest in Seven Metropolitan Roads Following Five Railway Networks
Realizing "Transportation First, Move-In Later"... Leaping Toward Becoming the Eastern Metropolitan Transportation Hub
Breathing New Life into the Old Downtown
Direct Connection to Gangdong with New "Hwangsan-Choi" Road
Major Artery for the Western Region
Dramatic Improvement in Access to Songpa
Completion of Hanam's East-West Axis
"Gaeksan Tunnel" Breakthrough and National Road 43 Expansion
Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) is actively moving forward with the expansion of seven metropolitan road networks, following its plans for five metropolitan railway networks. With these efforts, Hanam is on the verge of becoming a true "30-Minute City from Seoul" and a major transportation hub in the eastern metropolitan area.
Hanam City is actively promoting the expansion of seven metropolitan road networks following its plan for five metropolitan railway networks. Photo by Hanam City
As part of the Gyo-san New Town Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Plan, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH) are investing a total of 326.7 billion won (based on the metropolitan transportation improvement plan) to implement seven metropolitan road network projects. These large-scale projects were included in the plan as a result of Hanam City's proactive negotiations during the establishment of the metropolitan transportation improvement strategy.
According to Hanam City on October 29, the city has been actively involved from the planning stage to avoid repeating the inconvenience of "residents moving in before transportation infrastructure is ready," which occurred during previous new town developments. Currently, the city is accelerating the projects in close cooperation with LH, GH, and other related agencies, integrating railway and road network plans through its New Town Task Force (TF).
The construction of the new "Hwangsan-Choi Road" (four lanes, from Deoksan-ro to Gamcho-ro), which directly connects the old downtown and Gyo-san New Town to Gangdong-gu in Seoul (Cheonho-daero), is progressing rapidly with the goal of completion by 2032.
Currently, GH has applied for an amendment to the urban management plan and is preparing for detailed design. Hanam City is going further by requesting the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and LH to extend the road directly to Cheonho-daero. If the extension is realized, an additional metropolitan road will connect Hanam City and Gangdong-gu (Cheonho-daero), dispersing current traffic at Hwangsan Intersection and significantly improving access to Cheonho-daero for residents of the old downtown area.
The transportation network linking western Hanam and Songpa-gu in Seoul will also see major improvements.
The construction of the new "Dongnam-ro Connection Road" (four lanes, from Dongnam-ro to Chogwang Samgeori) and the "Seohanam-ro Expansion" (from four to eight lanes, from Chogwang Samgeori to Gyo-san District) are underway with the aim of completion by 2030. In August, LH applied to Hanam City for the related urban management plan. Once these roads are completed, the average travel speed on the existing Seohanam-ro is expected to increase from 33.8 km/h to 36.4 km/h, and the distance to Jungang Veterans Hospital Station on Subway Line 9 will be reduced from 4.5 km to 3.0 km. In particular, the new Dongnam-ro Connection Road is expected to greatly enhance Seoul accessibility for residents of Gambuk-dong and Choi-dong.
Additionally, the chronically congested "Seohanam IC Intersection" will be partially expanded from ten to eleven lanes, and the "Seohanam-ro Expansion" from Seohanam IC to Dongsung High School Entrance Samgeori is already operating as a six to eight-lane road. The remaining section to Chogwang Samgeori will be expanded to six lanes by 2026. Once the planned four road projects are completed, accessibility from western Hanam to Songpa in Seoul will be dramatically improved.
A new east-west transportation axis crossing Hanam City will also be established.
The "Gaeksan Tunnel to National Road 43" (four lanes, from Gyo-san District to National Road 43), which will directly connect Chunghung-dong (Gyo-san) and Cheonhyeon-dong, currently separated by Gaeksan, is targeted for completion by 2031. This project, implemented by LH, is in the process of preparing an urban management plan application. Once the tunnel opens, the travel distance between the two areas will be significantly reduced from 4.0 km to 2.5 km. This road, in conjunction with the aforementioned Dongnam-ro Connection Road and Seohanam-ro Expansion, will form a new east-west metropolitan road network connecting Hanam City and Seoul.
The main road in eastern Hanam, "National Road 43," will also be expanded (from four to six lanes) and improved. This project, carried out by GH, will widen the section from Hanam IC to Hasangok Samgeori to six lanes. In September, GH applied to Hanam City for the urban management plan. Once completed, transportation convenience for residents of Cheonhyeon-dong will be enhanced. Hanam City is also requesting LH and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to extend the expansion section to the "Sangsangok-dong Corporate Relocation Complex."
Measures are also being implemented to minimize traffic impact from the (tentatively named) Seondong Bridge construction, including road improvements in Misa Riverside City.
The "Gangil IC Bypass Road" (two lanes), with a total investment of 42.2 billion won (based on the metropolitan transportation improvement plan), and the "Olympic-daero Expansion" (from eight to ten lanes) are underway. In addition, the new "Misa IC Ramp," which will allow direct access from Chuncheon direction to Hanam, is also planned.
Once the expansion of the seven metropolitan road networks is complete, Hanam City's transportation environment is expected to undergo a dramatic transformation.
Based on lessons learned from past new town transportation issues, Hanam City is focusing all administrative efforts on realizing the principle of "transportation first, move-in later."
The city is working closely with related agencies, centered on the New Town Task Force (TF), to ensure smooth project implementation. Upon completion of the five railway networks and seven metropolitan road networks, Hanam City is expected to fully realize the vision of a "30-Minute City from Seoul" and establish itself as the core transportation city representing the eastern metropolitan area.
Mayor Lee Hyunjae of Hanam City emphasized, "Once the seven metropolitan road networks are completed, citizens' commuting environments will be dramatically improved, including resolving congestion at Hwangsan Intersection and increasing travel speed on Cheonho-daero (from 10.4 km/h to 13.6 km/h). Based on past lessons, we will focus all administrative efforts on realizing the principle of 'transportation first, move-in later,' so that Hanam City can become the undisputed core transportation city of the eastern metropolitan area."
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