Speeding Up Construction of Phase 2 Section of Gwangju~Wando Expressway

Published 24 Aug.2023 10:31(KST)

Selection of Preliminary Feasibility Study Projects

38.9 km from Gangjin Seongjeon to Haenam Namchang, costing 1.5 trillion KRW

The second phase of the Gwangju-Wando Expressway project, a long-cherished project of Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, has been selected as a preliminary feasibility study target project, giving momentum to the project promotion.

According to Wando-gun on the 24th, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held the 4th Financial Project Evaluation Committee on the 23rd and deliberated and approved the agenda for selecting preliminary feasibility study target projects.

The first phase of the Gwangju-Wando Expressway project extends from Byeokjin-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju to Seongjeon, Gangjin, with a total length of 51.11 km and a total project cost of 1.7718 trillion KRW, currently underway.

Stage 1 section of Geumjeong-myeon, Yeongam-gun, Section 4 site [Photo by Wando-gun]

Construction began in August 2017 and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The second phase section is a large-scale project extending 38.9 km from Seongjeon, Gangjin to Namchang, Haenam, requiring a total project cost of 1.5965 trillion KRW.

Wando-gun has continuously appealed to the central government regarding the necessity and justification of the project to expedite the start of the second phase section.

As a result, after being reflected as a priority route and national agenda in the 2nd Five-Year Highway Construction Plan, it passed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's investment review and was selected as a preliminary feasibility study target project, achieving a great success.

Going forward, a full-scale preliminary feasibility study will commence, including comprehensive evaluations such as economic analysis by the Korea Development Institute, regional balanced development evaluation, and policy evaluation.

Accordingly, Wando-gun plans to prepare so that future changing conditions such as the opening of Jangbogo Bridge, promotion of the marine healing industry, establishment of the National Warm-Temperate Forest Arboretum, and construction of the National Maritime Fisheries Museum can be maximally reflected in the cost-benefit index (B/C) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (A.H.P) index.

Once the entire Gwangju-Wando Expressway is opened, the travel time from Gwangju to Wando, which used to take about 2 hours, is expected to be reduced to within 1 hour.

County Governor Shin Woo-cheol said, "We will make greater efforts to pass the preliminary feasibility study for the second phase section so that the entire section can be opened with momentum," adding, "It is expected to contribute to reducing logistics costs at Wando Port logistics base through revolutionary accessibility improvement, revitalizing human and material exchanges between regions, forming a nationwide single living zone, regional balanced development, and enhancing national competitiveness."