Guri-si, "Northern Arterial Road Noise Barrier Tunnel Project Passes Ministry of Economy and Finance Review"

114.8 Billion KRW for Guri City Section (98 Billion KRW for Metropolitan Transportation Line Project)‥ 4 Billion KRW from Own Resources

Taereung~Guri IC Wide-Area Road Expansion Project Location Map [Provided by Guri City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Guri City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 27th that "the expansion project of the wide-area road section from Taereung to Guri IC, aimed at resolving the chronic congestion on the Northern Arterial Road and installing a soundproof tunnel, was approved at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee meeting on the 24th."

According to the city, following the completion of the feasibility re-investigation by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, if the negotiation for the total project cost change is completed by September, the detailed design for the 'Taereung~Guri IC wide-area road expansion construction' section in Guri City will proceed, with construction expected to start as early as the second half of next year.

The city expects that by reflecting the installation of the Sinhae IC grade-separated interchange included in the Seoul City project section, access from Galmae-dong to the Guri-Pocheon Expressway and the Metropolitan Area 1st Ring Expressway will be smooth, thereby alleviating the chronic traffic congestion on Gyeongchunbuk-ro (National Road No. 47).

Furthermore, in the 'Wangsuk District Wide-area Transportation Improvement Plan' announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Metropolitan Area Wide-area Transportation Committee) in December last year, the project cost for the Guri City section of the Northern Arterial Road expansion project is to be shared with 98 billion KRW (49 billion for Wangsuk District, 49 billion for Yangjeong Station area), minimizing Guri City’s financial burden.

Previously, since 2016, the city has been promoting the Northern Arterial Road expansion and soundproof tunnel project to resolve chronic traffic congestion caused by large-scale development projects centered on the Northern Arterial Road and the rapid increase in traffic volume due to the settlement of nearby new towns, as well as to address traffic noise in surrounding apartment complexes.

According to a small-scale environmental impact assessment conducted in 2017, the average noise levels around the Northern Arterial Road in Guri City were 58.9 to 75.9 dB during the day and 56.0 to 74.8 dB at night, significantly exceeding the Ministry of Environment’s standards of 65 dB during the day and 55 dB at night.

In particular, based on the results showing that nighttime noise levels all exceeded the standards, the city has consistently raised the need for a soundproof tunnel with the government.

Mayor Ahn Seung-nam of Guri City said, "I welcome the approval of the feasibility re-investigation reflecting the Northern Arterial Road soundproof tunnel plan by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee," adding, "We will prepare for the detailed design and construction to ensure completion without any setbacks as planned."

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