'Venice of the East' Incheon Songdo Waterfront Phase 2 Kicks Off

Feasibility Study Request This Month... Project Completion Targeted for 2027
Phase 1-1 to be Completed by May Next Year, Phase 1-2 to Start Construction in Second Half of Next Year

Panoramic view of Songdo International City [Photo provided by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The second phase of the waterfront project, which connects the lakes and waterways of Songdo International City in the Incheon Free Economic Zone in a 'ㅁ' shape, is set to be actively promoted.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced on the 20th that it plans to request a feasibility study related to the second phase development from the Local Investment Project Management Center (LIMAC) of the Korea Institute of Public Administration within this month.

This is in accordance with the Local Finance Act, which requires a feasibility study from LIMAC for new projects with a budget exceeding 50 billion KRW.

After the feasibility study, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority plans to complete administrative procedures such as investment review and then proceed with follow-up steps including changes to the development and implementation plans starting next year, aiming to complete the second phase by 2027.

The second phase development project, with a budget of 351.3 billion KRW, involves creating waterfront tourism facilities by installing two sluice gates and one lock on a 5.7 km long and 300 m wide waterway in front of Solchan Park and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, and developing the site.

The Songdo waterfront is being developed in stages to improve water quality through seawater inflow using tidal differences (the difference between low and high tide sea levels) and to provide disaster prevention functions, as Songdo is adjacent to the sea on three sides.

The 1-1 phase of the waterfront connecting the southern waterway of Songdo began construction in 2019 and aims for completion in May next year, while the 1-2 phase connecting the northern waterway is currently in detailed design and is scheduled to start construction in the second half of next year. District 11 will separately create internal connecting waterways during infrastructure construction.

Songdo Waterfront Plan [Provided by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

The waterfront project spans a total length of 16 km and a width of 40 to 300 m, with a total budget of 621.5 billion KRW.

Upon completion in 2027, the waterfront will maintain an average seawater level of 1 meter and sustain water quality of grade 3 or higher through seawater inflow. Additionally, in the event of heavy rainfall, it will secure a freshwater capacity of approximately 10 million tons at a planned flood level of 3.5 meters, helping to prevent flood damage.

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority envisions surrounding Songdo with lakes and waterways in a 'ㅁ' shape, transforming it into a beautiful and romantic 'city of water' like Venice in Italy or Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

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