Opening the Era of 20-Minute Airport Access
1.5 Trillion Won Invested for 21 km, Four-Lane Expressway with Two Interchanges
First East-West Expressway through Gumi in 55 Years Since the Gyeongbu Expressway
Boosting Logistics Competitiveness and I
On November 27, the city of Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, announced that the Gumi-Gunwi Expressway construction project had passed the final preliminary feasibility study review at the 11th Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee for 2025, chaired by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. With this decision, Gumi has secured the foundation for establishing a core transportation network in response to the era of the integrated new airport.
The Gumi-Gunwi Expressway is a project to newly construct a 21.2 km section with 4 lanes from Gumi to Hyoryeong-myeon, Gunwi County (Jungang Expressway), with a total project cost of approximately 1.5627 trillion won. This is especially significant as it will be the first east-west expressway passing through Gumi in 55 years since the Gyeongbu Expressway was built in 1970.
The Gumi-Gunwi Expressway is a project to newly construct a 21.2 km section with 4 lanes from Gumi to Hyoryeong-myeon, Gunwi County (Jungang Expressway). Location map / Provided by Gumi City Hall
Until now, Gumi City, together with North Gyeongsang Province, has made numerous visits to relevant institutions such as the Presidential Office, the National Assembly, and the Government Complex Sejong, persistently emphasizing the necessity of the project and the justification for installing two interchanges within the region. As a result, after the preliminary feasibility study began in October 2023, the process gained momentum, and the project officially entered the main feasibility study in August 2024, ultimately passing the final review at this Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee.
The city also directly participated in the subcommittee meeting held on the 26th, once again highlighting the effectiveness of the project by emphasizing the logistics innovation effect, improved accessibility to the new airport, and alleviation of urban traffic congestion.
Once the expressway opens, Gumi will become a key transportation hub in the central-western region of North Gyeongsang Province. The new Gumi-Gunwi Expressway will connect the east-west axis to existing north-south expressways such as the Gyeongbu Expressway, Jungang Expressway, Jungbu Inland Expressway, and Sangju-Yeongcheon Expressway, completing a comprehensive road network linking all directions with Gumi at its center.
In particular, with two interchanges to be installed within Gumi, accessibility to the integrated new airport will be dramatically improved, allowing travel from anywhere in the city to the airport within 20 minutes.
This is expected to serve as a decisive foundation for Gumi to drive regional development as an airport hinterland city in North Gyeongsang Province.
There are also high expectations for the economic ripple effects. Gumi has a national industrial complex located within 10 km in a straight line from the integrated new airport and, as of last year, accounted for 93% of North Gyeongsang Province's air export volume and 48% of its import and export cargo throughput.
Given the industrial structure's high proportion of high value-added, compact, and lightweight industries such as IT, electronics, and optics, linking the airport and expressway will directly lead to reduced logistics costs, supply chain stability, and enhanced export competitiveness.
Furthermore, with the selection of consecutive national projects such as the Defense Industry Innovation Cluster, the Semiconductor Specialized Complex, and the Opportunity Development Zone, the national industrial complex is expected to make a new leap forward. The expressway is also expected to have a positive impact on the regeneration of aging industrial complexes and the revitalization of sales at the Fifth National Industrial Complex.
Additionally, the city is working to further strengthen connectivity with the new airport and secure a reliable transportation network to enhance logistics competitiveness, invigorate the industrial complex, and promote the development of the central-western region of North Gyeongsang Province. Efforts are underway to include the 'Gumi - East Gumi - New Airport' railway in the Fifth National Railway Network Plan.
Gumi Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "Passing the preliminary feasibility study is a turning point for Gumi to emerge as a central city in the airport economic zone," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure smooth progress through the design and construction phases so that tangible results can be quickly realized for citizens and businesses."
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