Jeonnam Province Opens Era of Automobile Traffic in Shinan's 'Diamond Islands'

Shinan Chupo~Bigeum Island Bridge Preliminary Feasibility Study Passed

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The completion of land transportation in the ‘Diamond Archipelago’ of Shinan, the island of angels boasting Jeonnam’s pristine tourist resources and the beauty of the Dadohae Sea, is approaching, marking a turning point not only in improving the mobility rights of island residents but also in revitalizing tourism.

Jeonnam Province announced on the 6th that 1.6104 trillion KRW for six districts including Shinan Chupo~Bigeum was reflected in the preliminary feasibility study review for national and local roads worth over 50 billion KRW by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee.

This accounts for 28.0% compared to the national total. Nationwide, projects worth 5.7454 trillion KRW across 38 districts were included.

Accordingly, following the opening of the Cheonsa Bridge, Imja Bridge, and Chupo Bridge, the main land transportation artery connecting nine islands of Shinan ? Jaeun, Amtae, Palgeum, Anjwa, Jangsan, Sinui, Haewi, Dochodo, and Bigeumdo ? will be completed.

This means the era of automobile traffic in Shinan’s ‘Diamond Archipelago’ is fully opening.

The Shinan Chupo~Bigeum causeway project, a long-cherished wish of island residents, was repeatedly rejected in preliminary feasibility studies in 2011 and 2014 due to economic feasibility concerns.

However, this time, the preliminary feasibility evaluation increased the weight of ‘regional balanced development’ in non-capital areas from the previous 25?35% to 30?40%, reflecting the issue of balanced national development more intensively rather than mechanically measuring by population proportion, thereby securing the feasibility of the causeway construction.

The project cost for the Chupo~Bigeum causeway is 382.7 billion KRW with a total length of 10.41 km. The Amtae Sinseok~Danggok national road improvement project has a total budget of 58.2 billion KRW and a total length of 9.12 km.

Once the Chupo~Bigeum causeway opens, the travel time by sea from Mokpo to Bigeum, which took over 120 minutes, will be reduced to less than 60 minutes by land, resolving the island isolation issue and improving convenience for island residents in various fields such as medical care, education, and culture.

Additionally, the Sinseok~Danggok section of National Road No. 2 will also see traffic congestion alleviated by improving the poor alignment of the existing road. It is expected to serve as an opportunity to eliminate previously raised traffic accident risk factors.

Thus, the completion of the Shinan Diamond Archipelago, a landmark of the western region in the Southwest Coast tourism belt project promoted by Jeonnam Province, is drawing closer, which is expected to accelerate the development of Jeonnam’s tourism projects to sustain the era of 60 million tourists.

Since the opening of the Cheonsa Bridge in 2019, the number of tourists to Shinan has increased more than threefold. Bigeumdo, connected by land, is expected to become a representative tourist destination in Jeonnam boasting beautiful scenery, with improved accessibility to tourist spots such as the Lee Sedol Baduk Memorial Hall, Myeongsasimni Beach and Daedong Salt Farm, Naechon Stone Wall Road, and Seonwangsan Mountain.

Lee Sanghoon, Director of the Jeonnam Province Construction and Transportation Bureau, said, “The value of islands varies depending on whether land or causeway bridges are installed, and passing this preliminary feasibility study has laid the foundation for Shinan to leap forward as a global island tourism hub,” adding, “We will continue to expand SOC to enhance the value of the Dadohae Sea, which has the most islands nationwide, and to expand infrastructure in the Jeonnam region.”

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