Full 57.8 km Now Open... Half-Day Living Zone Realized in Northern Chungcheongbuk-do
Total Project Cost of 1.0436 Trillion Won... Culmination of Over Eight Years of Work
Opening Section Panorama (Sangyeong Intersection / Yeongdeok-ri, Sancheok-myeon, Chungju City) (Photo by Daejeon Regional Land Management Office)
On December 30 at 12:00 PM, an additional 17.4 km section of the Chungcheong Inland Expressway (total length: 57.8 km) between Chungju and Jecheon will open, reducing travel time between Cheongju and Chungju by approximately 23 minutes.
The Daejeon Regional Land Management Office (headed by Bang Yunseok) announced that with the opening of this remaining section-comprising 4.2 km of expressway and 13.2 km of general national road-following three previous phased openings since July 2024, the entire 57.8 km stretch of the Chungcheong Inland Expressway will now be fully operational.
With the full opening of 44.6 km of expressway and 13.2 km of general national road, travel time between Geumam Intersection in Cheongju and Geomdan Intersection in Chungju will be reduced from 53 minutes to 30 minutes, a decrease of about 23 minutes. This improved accessibility between Cheongju, Chungju, and Jecheon will finally make the “half-day living zone” in northern Chungcheongbuk-do a reality.
The opening of the Chungcheong Inland Expressway marks the completion of a major national project that began in May 2017, with a total investment of 1.0436 trillion won over approximately eight years. It is significant in that it creates a new north-south axis traversing the Chungcheongbuk-do region.
In particular, by establishing a network linking key advanced industrial hubs in the Chungcheong inland region-such as Osong Bio Science Complex, Ochang Science Industrial Complex, Jecheon Bio Valley, and Chungju Enterprise City-the expressway is expected to greatly enhance industrial competitiveness and accelerate logistics flows between regions.
The area of Songjeong-ri, Doan-myeon, Jeungpyeong-gun (Photo by Daejeon Regional Land Management Office)
Bang Yunseok, head of the Daejeon Regional Land Management Office, stated, "With the full opening of the Chungcheong Inland Expressway, we expect to provide road users traveling in northern Chungcheongbuk-do with a faster and more comfortable transportation environment, which will contribute to revitalizing the local economy, including industry and tourism." He added, "We will continue to prioritize regional development and public safety as we strive to build and manage road infrastructure."
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