Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2, 'Smooth Sailing' Despite COVID-19 Impact

Stage 1 Plan Progress Rate Reaches 16%... Local Company Contract Amount 72%, Workforce and Equipment 80%

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Despite adverse conditions such as COVID-19 and the prolonged rainy season lasting over 50 days this summer, the construction of Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 is progressing smoothly, achieving a 16% completion rate of the first phase plan this year.

According to Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 6th, since the start of the first phase in September last year, the first phase of the Urban Railway Line 2 project, now in its second year, has invested 210.7 billion KRW out of the total project cost of 1.2813 trillion KRW, achieving a planned progress rate of 16%.

The construction of the 17 km first phase section is being carried out by dividing it into six main sections and the vehicle depot construction, with simultaneous excavation work underway at 28 locations over a 6 km section.

The main construction areas include Yudeok Intersection, Gwangju Stream in front of City Hall, Uncheon Reservoir, Punggeum Intersection, World Cup Stadium, Baegun Square, Namgwangju Station, Sansu Five-way Intersection, and Seobang Intersection.

Additionally, to build Line 2 and the underground road, the demolition of Baegun Overpass, which has served as the gateway to Nam-gu, the transportation hub of Gwangju, began on June 4th. The demolition of the upper structure was completed on September 25th, and after road paving and lane marking on the site where the overpass was removed, an 11-lane two-way road was opened on the 1st.

The Baegun Overpass was constructed with steep slopes and sharp curves due to the unavoidable presence of the Gyeongjeon Line railway at the time, causing frequent traffic accidents and congestion. It also caused urban aesthetic degradation and commercial district disconnection, leading to continuous demands from residents for its removal.

This section will continue to be developed concurrently with the construction of the urban railway and the underground road until 2023.

The Urban Railway Construction Headquarters has actively encouraged the participation of local specialized construction companies by signing business agreements to expand local company involvement, visiting contractors’ headquarters multiple times, and issuing directives during progress meetings to increase subcontracting participation, local employment, and the use of construction materials and equipment produced locally.

As a result, since the start of construction, contracts with local companies for subcontracting, services, and waste disposal have amounted to 246.9 billion KRW, representing a 72% participation rate. The total number of local employees hired reached 19,958, accounting for 78%, and local equipment usage was recorded at 8,588 cases, or 84%, injecting vitality into the local economy struggling due to COVID-19.

The Urban Railway Construction Headquarters is gathering opinions through meetings with local construction associations to further increase local company participation in the remaining sections and is continuously requesting cooperation from contractors.

Urban Railway Line 2 is designed according to the start times of each phase and construction type, and construction and 60% government subsidy are possible only after consultation with the government on the total project cost.

The preliminary civil engineering and vehicle depot works for the first phase construction are underway, and the subsequent architectural, mechanical, electrical, and communication (M&E) works have completed total project cost consultations with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance last October by persuading the central government of the necessity for national funding support. Accordingly, M&E works can commence early next year, enabling smooth progress of the first phase project.

The Urban Railway Construction Headquarters established a budget execution plan aligned with the annual planned progress, expanded work sections in the first half of the year, set weekly and monthly progress targets, and conducted frequent site inspections. As a result, 92% (76.4 billion KRW) of the 83 billion KRW national budget was executed early in the first half, achieving the highest execution rate nationwide in the urban railway sector with full national budget execution currently.

With the urgent need to secure national funding for the third year of full-scale project promotion after construction started, the rapid execution of this year’s budget established the justification for national funding support, and through active consultations with central government departments, 224 billion KRW in national funding was secured for 2021.

Next year, a total of 370 billion KRW, including 224 billion KRW in national funding, will be invested. The plan is to expand the first phase construction work sections in the first half and commence M&E works such as electrical, signaling, and communication.

Once the total project cost consultation with the government is completed early next year, construction of the second phase 20 km section is planned to start in the second half, covering the entire 37 km circular line passing through Yongbong, Cheomdan, Suwan, Singa, and Hanam districts.

As construction sections expand citywide, the Urban Railway Construction Headquarters is working closely with related agencies such as the National Police Agency to minimize citizen inconvenience caused by inevitable traffic congestion.

Construction areas are equipped with banners and guide signs, and phased construction is carried out with promotion through traffic broadcasts. Efforts include adjusting signal systems and speed limits, lifting bus-only lanes in some sections to secure lanes, and cracking down on illegal parking nearby.

Joint regular inspections of the construction site surroundings will be conducted with the National Police Agency, Road Traffic Authority, and related experts to prevent traffic accidents in advance. Special focus will be on whether speed limits and vehicle guidance are properly enforced and whether drivers and pedestrians have adequate visibility.

Park Nam-ju, head of the Urban Railway Construction Headquarters, said, “With next year’s budget for the Urban Railway Line 2 construction project reaching about 370 billion KRW, we will do our best to support local economic revitalization through prompt budget execution and local company participation during these difficult COVID-19 times. We will also strive to build a safe and convenient premium urban railway Line 2 for citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.