Gyeonggi Province to Build "Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway"... 98-Minute Reduction from Goyang to Namyangju

Gyeonggi Province Announces Construction of "Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway"
Citizen-Participation Private Investment Project Worth 2 Trillion Won to Open in 2034
Kim Dongyeon: "We Will Do This with the Power of Gyeonggi... A Major Transformation in Transportation Will Occur"

Gyeonggi Province has announced the "Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway" project plan, which aims to dramatically lead the large-scale development of northern Gyeonggi by reducing travel time from Goyang to Namyangju by 98 minutes.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon announced the "Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway" project plan on the 15th at Minrak National Sports Center in Uijeongbu City and communicated with local residents. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

On the 15th, Governor Kim Dongyeon visited Minrak National Sports Center in Uijeongbu City as part of his on-site economic tour, riding the "Daldal (Every Place We Visit, Things Change) Bus," and announced the plan. He stated, "This project, being promoted as part of the large-scale development of the northern region, has several distinctive features," and presented three key points.

First, Governor Kim said, "We will do this with the power of Gyeonggi Province. Usually, relying on national finances takes a long time, but Gyeonggi Province will take the initiative." He added, "Second, instead of developing first and then building roads, we will construct the road first. This is a completely different approach from the traditional method of developing first and then addressing transportation."

Lastly, Governor Kim stated, "A national fund will be involved. Since we will create a model that can deliver an appropriate rate of return, it will likely be very popular. This is the first time in Korea that a national fund will be used for a road project. Gyeonggi Province will accomplish this with its own strength. A major transformation in transportation will occur."

The Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway involves constructing a new east-west expressway between the first and second metropolitan ring expressways.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon announced the "Gyeonggi Northern Region Central Expressway" project plan on the 15th at Minrak National Sports Center in Uijeongbu City and received an additional on-site report. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

It will connect five northern Gyeonggi cities: Goyang, Paju, Yangju, Uijeongbu, and Namyangju. The project covers a total length of 42.7 kilometers, with a total project cost of 2.0506 trillion won, and will be carried out as a citizen-participation private investment project, aiming for completion in 2034.

It will also connect with four north-south expressways: Seoul-Munsan, Seoul-Yangju, Sejong-Pocheon, and Hanam-Namyangju-Pocheon.

Major interchanges will be established at key points, subdividing the existing four-grid spatial structure of northern Gyeonggi into eight grids, significantly improving regional accessibility. This means that more residential areas will have quick access to the expressway. The new road network is also expected to function as a northern Gyeonggi ring road, connecting to Seoul's Gangbuk area via Jayu-ro, Gangbyeonbuk-ro, and the Hanam-Namyangju-Pocheon route.

Travel time between northern Gyeonggi regions will be significantly reduced. For example, on the section from Wondang-dong in Goyang to Jinjeop-eup in Namyangju, using the new expressway instead of existing national roads will reduce the travel distance from 78 km to 51 km, travel time from 2 hours 22 minutes to 44 minutes, and average speed from 33 km/h to 68 km/h.

As a result, the project is expected to secure the golden hour for critical emergency patients, improve access to tourist destinations, and reduce logistics costs. It is estimated to generate an economic effect of approximately 2.2498 trillion won and create 9,650 jobs.

Route map of the 'Expressway Centered on Northern Gyeonggi'. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The province will promote this project as a private investment initiative, introducing a "citizen fund." This will move away from a structure where private investors monopolize profits, allowing residents to easily invest directly and share the returns. Through this approach, the financial burden on the government will be minimized and negative perceptions of private investment projects are expected to be addressed.

After receiving proposals from private investment companies (which will operate the citizen fund), the province plans to announce the basic plan, designate the project operator, approve the implementation plan, and begin construction, with the goal of opening the expressway in 2034.