Completing the Final Piece of Busan's Inner Ring Road Network
The Mandeok-Centum urban expressway is opening, completing the final piece of Busan's inner ring road 25 years after the project began.
The Busan Metropolitan City Government (Mayor Park Heongjoon) announced that it will open the final section of the Busan inner ring road, the "Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway," at midnight on the 10th. Before the opening, the city will hold an opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 9th at Mandeok IC.
About 300 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony, including Mayor Park Heongjoon, members of the city council and the National Assembly, officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and representatives from the construction companies. The event will proceed in the order of a project progress report, a commemorative speech, and congratulatory remarks.
The "Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway" is a 9.62 km long, four-lane, bidirectional tunnel connecting Mandeok-dong in Buk-gu and Jaesong-dong in Haeundae-gu. It is the first deep underground road in Korea that allows all types of vehicles to use it, and it has been built at a depth of about 40 meters below ground.
By using this road, the travel time from Mandeok to Centum will be reduced from more than 40 minutes to around 11 minutes. It is also expected to help disperse traffic volume in chronic congestion sections such as Chungnyeol-daero and Suyeong Riverside-daero.
The Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway is the final section to be completed, 25 years after the Busan inner ring road network plan was established in 2001. The city expects that directly linking western and eastern Busan will significantly improve both logistics flows and access to daily living areas.
With this opening, the Busan Metropolitan City Government expects economic benefits including an annual saving of 64.8 billion won in travel costs, 1.2332 trillion won in production inducement effects, and the creation of 9,599 jobs.
Tolls will be charged starting February 19. For passenger cars, the toll during commuting hours from Mandeok IC to Centum IC will be 2,500 won.
Mayor Park Heongjoon said, "The Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway is a project that symbolizes a shift in Busan's transportation system," adding, "Even after the opening, we will closely monitor traffic flow and safety management."
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