Opening of Hwaseong-Gwangju Expressway... Travel Time Reduced by Half from 65 Minutes to 33 Minutes

Connection of Gyeongbu, Yeongdong, and Jungbu Expressways
Improvement of Transportation Environment in Southeastern Metropolitan Area
Annual Logistics Cost Reduction of 96 Billion KRW

With the opening of the Hwaseong-Gwangju Expressway on the 21st, the travel time, which previously took 65 minutes, will be reduced by about half to 33 minutes.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced, "The Hwaseong-Gwangju Expressway will open from 0:00 on the 21st."

The Hwaseong-Gwangju Expressway is a 31.2 km long, four-lane expressway connecting Banggyori, Dongtan-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province to Jinwoo-ri, Docheok-myeon, Gwangju-si. Construction began in March 2017, and after five years with a total project cost of 1.4957 trillion KRW, it is now opening.

This route connects the southeastern disconnected section of the Seoul Metropolitan Area 2nd Ring Expressway. It links the currently operating Bongdam-Dongtan Expressway with the Icheon-Yangpyeong Expressway, scheduled to open in 2026. It also connects the Gyeongbu and Jungbu Expressways east-west and links to the Yeongdong Expressway.

The Ministry explained, "With the opening of this route, the expressway network, which mainly runs along the north-south axis, will be complemented, greatly improving accessibility in the southeastern Gyeonggi region and enhancing traffic conditions in the metropolitan area."

Furthermore, the opening of this route is expected to ease vehicle flow in the southern metropolitan area. The travel distance between Hwaseong-si and Gwangju-si, connected by the shortest route, will be reduced by 25 km (from 62 to 37 km), and travel time will be shortened by 32 minutes (from 65 to 33 minutes).

In particular, by connecting the Gyeongbu-Yeongdong-Jungbu Expressways, traffic volume on the Gyeongbu Expressway and others can be dispersed, which is expected to alleviate congestion in habitual traffic jam sections such as Giheung Interchange to Singal Junction.

Logistics conditions will also improve significantly. The Ministry analyzed that by connecting the Seohaean and Pyeongtaek-Siheung Expressways, which have heavy logistics traffic, with major expressways like the Gyeongbu and Jungbu Expressways, about 96 billion KRW in annual logistics costs can be saved.

The Hwaseong-Gwangju Expressway incorporates advanced technologies for a safe road environment and various convenience facilities.

To improve hazardous sections, traffic safety inspections using the Korea Road Traffic Authority's special vehicle (TSCV) were conducted before opening, and fixed and mobile speed enforcement devices were installed at nine locations.

Remote-controlled automatic brine spraying facilities were installed at 16 vulnerable snow removal sections, including major interchanges, service areas, and tunnel entrances. Additionally, two Weather Information Systems (WIS) were installed on bridges where black ice may form and compromise traffic safety, providing weather information in advance on electronic signboards.

Two drowsy driver rest areas, one in each direction, were installed for drivers' rest. Also, a non-stop toll payment system (one-tolling system) was introduced, allowing integrated payment of tolls when using connected expressway sections. The toll fee for small vehicles traveling the entire section is 3,700 KRW.

Lee Yoon-sang, Director of the Road Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We will open the remaining expressway sections such as Icheon-Yangpyeong and Pocheon-Hwado without delay to promptly complete the Seoul Metropolitan Area 2nd Ring Expressway, a major national arterial road network." The scheduled opening times for major sections of the Seoul Metropolitan Area 2nd Ring Expressway are: Pocheon-Hwado and Hwado-Yangpyeong in 2023, Gimpo-Paju and Paju-Yangju in 2025, Icheon-Yangpyeong in 2026, and Ansan-Incheon in 2029.

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