Expressway Corporation Expects 11% Rise in Traffic During Sunrise Period
Strong Warning Against Shoulder Parking and Unauthorized Walking
As people begin traveling in earnest to catch the first sunrise of the New Year, expressways in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are effectively turning into sunrise hotspots. With the risk of accidents increasing due to heavier traffic, highway authorities are tightening safety management on expressways during the year-end and New Year period.
The Daegu-North Gyeongsang Regional Headquarters of Korea Expressway Corporation announced that it will implement a "Special Sunrise Traffic Plan" for five days from December 31 to January 4, operating an emergency management system to ensure the safety of expressway users and maintain smooth traffic flow.
According to the Expressway Corporation, the average daily traffic volume on expressways in Daegu and North Gyeongsang during this period is expected to reach about 480,000 vehicles. This represents an 11.2% increase compared to the same period last year, largely due to the opening of the Pohang-Yeongdeok section of the Donghae Expressway.
To ensure smooth traffic, all mainline construction work, except for emergencies, will be completely suspended. Real-time traffic information will be provided via variable message signs (VMS) in sections where congestion is expected. At rest areas anticipated to attract large sunrise crowds, additional safety personnel will be deployed, and entry may be restricted if necessary. In addition, safety management vehicles will be stationed at the rear of congested sections to prevent rear-end collisions, further strengthening traffic safety management.
In particular, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. on January 1, a large number of people are expected to gather around Pohang Rest Area and Yeongdeok Rest Area on the Donghae Expressway to watch the sunrise. The Expressway Corporation plans to strengthen on-site response by increasing the number of guides and reinforcing safety facilities.
At Yeongdeok Rest Area, the view of the sunrise is blocked by mountains, making it impossible to see the sunrise, and it is not possible to exit toward the South Yeongdeok Interchange (which is exclusively for Hi-Pass users) after using the rest area, raising concerns about wrong-way entry. Therefore, advance guidance using VMS will be provided intensively in this section.
Yoo Hosik, head of the Daegu-North Gyeongsang Regional Headquarters, emphasized, "If you feel fatigued during long drives for the sunrise, you must take sufficient rest at a nearby rest area or drowsy driving shelter. Parking or stopping on the shoulder or walking on the expressway for the purpose of seeing the sunrise is strictly prohibited, as it can directly lead to major accidents."
Meanwhile, the Expressway Corporation plans to flexibly operate management measures in response to changing traffic conditions through cooperation with related agencies, making every effort to ensure expressway safety during the year-end and New Year period.
Certain expressway sections and rest areas known as sunrise spots have been repeatedly pointed out as safety blind spots every year. This year's special traffic plan is evaluated as going beyond simple congestion management, aiming to structurally eliminate chronic risky behaviors such as parking or stopping on the shoulder and unauthorized walking on expressways.
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