Gangneung City Eases Traffic Congestion at Asan Hospital Intersection with Real-Time Signal Operation...Average Delay Cut by 71 Seconds

Average Travel Speed Up by 18.4 km/h

The city of Gangneung in Gangwon Province (Mayor Kim Hongkyu) announced on February 23 that it has seen a significant improvement in traffic flow at the Gangneung Asan Hospital Intersection, where congestion had been frequent and where approximately 47,580 vehicles pass daily on average, after the pilot introduction of real-time signal operation.

Gangneung City: Traffic congestion at Asan Hospital Intersection dramatically improved through real-time signal operation (vehicle queues after implementation). Provided by Gangneung City

In this pilot project, real-time signal operation was carried out by using AI video detectors to analyze traffic volume and the length of vehicle queues in real time, and then variably adjusting the signal cycle between a minimum of 110 seconds and a maximum of 190 seconds based on this analysis.

As a result of the one-month pilot operation in January 2026, traffic flow at the Gangneung Asan Hospital Intersection showed a clear improvement. The average travel speed increased from 34.2 km/h to 52.6 km/h, a rise of 18.4 km/h, while the average delay time decreased from 233 seconds to 161.79 seconds, a reduction of about 71 seconds, easing congestion as perceived by residents.

In addition, the intersection’s Level of Service (LOS) improved from F to E, and there were zero civil complaints recorded during the pilot period, leading to an assessment that the system was operated stably without inconveniencing citizens.

Gangneung City plans to expand the application of real-time signal operation to major intersections based on the proven effectiveness demonstrated through this pilot. The city also intends to use this achievement as a flagship case study in the demonstration and inspection programs of the 2026 Gangneung ITS World Congress.

Lim Sinhyeok, head of the ITS Promotion Division, said, "The successful real-time signal operation at the Gangneung Asan Hospital Intersection, which carries an average of about 40,000 vehicles per day, will become a representative example of ITS-based traffic innovation," adding, "We will continue to build Gangneung into a smart traffic city based on ITS technologies."