Yangsan City Holds Resident Briefing on Sasong Hi-Pass IC Feasibility Study

Published 26 Aug.2025 16:48(KST)

Results of Feasibility Study for Busan Direction Announced
100 Million KRW Supplementary Budget Secured for Seoul-Bound Feasibility Study in September

On August 26, at 2:00 p.m., Yangsan City, Gyeongnam, held a resident briefing session at the small performance hall of the Yangsan Culture & Arts Center to present the results of a feasibility study for the Sasong Hi-Pass IC, a long-awaited project for residents following the development of the Sasong Public Housing District, which is a major current issue for the city.

Yangsan Sasong Hi-Pass IC Resident Briefing Session. Provided by Yangsan City

The city reviewed the criteria for the location of the Hi-Pass IC and found that there must be at least a 1 km distance from highway junctions and at least 2 km from interchanges or rest areas. As a result, the city faced many difficulties in selecting the location while considering connectivity with the Sasong District within the permissible range, excluding sections where installation is not possible. Ultimately, taking into account design standards, project cost scale, road functionality, and ease of project implementation, the city selected the optimal entry and exit location in the direction of Busan.

The results of the feasibility study for the Hi-Pass IC in the Busan direction were announced as follows: total project cost of 16.45 billion KRW, a benefit-cost (B/C) ratio of 1.71, and usage demand analysis indicating that 78.2% of users would be from within the Sasong District and 21.8% from outside the district.

According to the adjustment results by the Metropolitan Area Transportation Committee in September 2023, the total project cost will be shared based on the usage demand analysis for the Hi-Pass IC inside and outside the Sasong District. Yangsan City and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) will each bear a portion of the cost, which, according to the results, will amount to approximately 3.59 billion KRW for Yangsan City and 12.86 billion KRW for LH.

Starting in September, Yangsan City and LH plan to submit the feasibility report to Korea Expressway Corporation and proceed swiftly with subsequent procedures, including road connection permits, agreement signing with the expressway corporation, and detailed design. Project costs and other details may be subject to change during consultations and the detailed design phase with the expressway corporation.

For the Hi-Pass IC installation in the direction of Seoul, Yangsan City had originally planned to secure funding for a feasibility study with municipal funds in the 2026 budget, and to pursue additional measures to reduce project costs, such as securing national funds, so that the economic feasibility (including B/C analysis) could be sufficiently demonstrated. However, at the resident briefing session, Mayor Na Dongyeon made a surprise announcement, stating, "To not miss the golden opportunity for a bidirectional Sasong Hi-Pass IC, we will secure 100 million KRW for the feasibility study in the September supplementary budget and immediately begin work on the Seoul-bound direction as well."

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Mayor Na Dongyeon said, "Our city is strongly committed to ensuring the smooth progress of the bidirectional Sasong Hi-Pass IC project. We will do our utmost to coordinate with LH, Korea Expressway Corporation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and other relevant agencies. We also ask for the continued interest and cooperation of our residents."