Jogyuil Jinju Mayor Visits Ministry of Land to Resolve Sangpyeonggyo Traffic Congestion

Meeting with Deputy Minister Hwang Seong-gyu, Proposing Solutions for Frequent Traffic Congestion and Inconveniences in the Area

Mayor Jo Gyu-il Visits Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Meets with Deputy Minister Hwang Seong-gyu Photo by Jinju City

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Cho Gyu-il, mayor of Jinju City, visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 10th to resolve habitual traffic congestion near Sangpyeonggyo Bridge, a chronic traffic bottleneck in the city, and to address habitual traffic congestion and inconvenience throughout the city.

Mayor Cho met with Hwang Seong-gyu, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and actively proposed opening the old Jinju Interchange turnaround near Sangpyeonggyo Bridge to alleviate downtown traffic congestion, constructing National Route 33 between Jinju and Sacheon, and increasing the number of KTX and SRT high-speed rail lines between Jinju and Gangnam, Seoul.

To resolve vehicle congestion, the city has continuously requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Expressway Corporation to open the old Jinju IC turnaround, which has become an eyesore due to poor management. However, Korea Expressway Corporation opposes this, citing that the length of the staggered section does not meet road facility standards (standard L=300m, current L=180m). Therefore, from a macro perspective, the city has actively urged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to resolve this issue at the national level.

Additionally, Mayor Cho proposed the construction of National Route 33 between Jinju and Sacheon.

So far, the city has proactively conducted a feasibility study for the new road between Jinju and Sacheon, and Mayor Cho has personally visited government ministries to make proposals, while continuously requesting the Gyeongnam Province and Busan Regional Land Management Office for the new road construction.

Along with this, to improve the convenience of KTX use for Jinju citizens and residents of Gyeongnam Province, the city has actively proposed increasing the number of high-speed rail lines (KTX, SRT) departing from Jinju to Suseo.

Currently, to travel from Jinju to the Gangnam area of Seoul by KTX, passengers must transfer to the SRT bound for Suseo at Dongdaegu Station or get off at Seoul Station and take the subway, which requires about an additional hour of travel.

In response, Mayor Cho emphasized, “To improve accessibility to the metropolitan area and promote the use of high-speed rail, it is essential to increase the number of high-speed rail lines (KTX, SRT) departing from Jinju to Suseo,” adding, “This is not only important for improving convenience for local residents but also a significant national issue to ensure universal mobility rights by resolving service imbalances in high-speed rail.” It is reported that Vice Minister Hwang gave a positive response to Mayor Cho’s proposals.

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