Daejeon Mayor Lee Jangwoo: "Promoting Traffic Improvement with New Grade-Separated Guam Intersection"

New Grade-Separated Intersections to Be Built Connecting Yuseong IC, Jangdae Intersection, Guamgyo Four-way Intersection, and Guam Station Three-way Intersection
Temporary Opening of 'Oesam?Yuseong Complex Terminal BRT Connecting Road' Begins October 1

On the 29th, Lee Jangwoo, mayor of Daejeon, held a briefing at the city hall press room and announced, "To fundamentally resolve the chronic traffic congestion in the Yuseong area, we will promote traffic improvement by constructing a new grade-separated Guam intersection."
(Photo by Mo Seokbong)

On September 29, Lee Jangwoo, mayor of Daejeon, held a briefing in the city hall press room and announced, "To fundamentally resolve the chronic traffic congestion in the Yuseong area, we will promote traffic improvement by constructing a new grade-separated Guam Intersection that will connect Yuseong IC, Jangdae Intersection, Guamgyo Four-way Intersection, and Guam Station Three-way Intersection."

He also added, "Starting October 1, we will temporarily open the Oesam to Yuseong Complex Terminal BRT connecting road."

The core of this traffic improvement project is the construction of the new Guam Intersection, which will be carried out in parallel with the construction of an underpass (Section 1) on the Oesam to Yuseong Complex Terminal BRT connecting road passing through the Honam Expressway branch, and the grade separation of the Guam Intersection (Section 2).

This measure is a key strategy to respond to the rapidly increasing traffic demand caused by large-scale development projects, such as the construction of the Yuseong Metropolitan Transfer Center and the Jukdong and Southwestern Comprehensive Sports Town.

The city explained that, first, on October 1, it will temporarily open the 5.8 km section from Oesam to Jangdae Intersection and Paksan-ro.

The 4.9 km section from Oesam to World Cup Four-way Intersection and Jangdae Intersection will operate as a central bus-only lane. Large passenger vehicles, business-use passenger vehicles with fewer than 36 seats, and school or commuter vehicles with 16 or more seats will also be allowed to use the dedicated lane. The city will prioritize the operation of M1 and 119 buses to ensure punctuality, and plans to sequentially add B2, B4, and 123 buses in the future.

The 0.8 km section from Jangdae Intersection to Paksan-ro will be open mainly to medium and small vehicles (with a height limit of 3.0 meters), partially alleviating traffic congestion in the northwestern region.

To reduce congestion caused by the operation of the central bus-only lane, the city will implement complementary measures such as reducing the traffic island at Chimsindae Four-way Intersection, expanding left-turn lanes in both directions, adding straight lanes toward Sejong, and removing the pedestrian crossing at Banseok Four-way Intersection in the direction of Sejong, thereby securing an additional 30 seconds in signal cycles.

According to traffic simulation results related to the removal of the Banseok Four-way Intersection pedestrian crossing, the level of traffic service in the Oesam Four-way Intersection to Banseok Four-way Intersection section is expected to improve from a "severely congested state (FF grade)" to about one-third to one-fourth of the low-traffic state (F grade). Morning rush hour delays will decrease by 20%, and evening rush hour delays will decrease by 35%.

Additionally, by next year, the city plans to utilize the underpass box beneath the Honam Expressway near the Dagaon youth housing in Guam-dong and the compensated land for the Yuseong Metropolitan Transfer Center access road to establish a temporary four-lane access road connecting Yuseong IC to the Yuseong Metropolitan Transfer Center. This will disperse approximately 20% of the traffic volume heading from Jangdae Intersection to Guamgyo Four-way Intersection.

The key to the structural improvement is the construction of the new Guam Intersection. The city will simultaneously proceed with the construction of an underpass (Section 1) on the Oesam to Yuseong Complex Terminal BRT connecting road passing through the Honam Expressway branch, and the grade separation of the Guam Intersection (Section 2).

Photo by Daejeon City Provided

Once the BRT connecting road is fully open, the Guam Intersection section is expected to see about 8,000 vehicles passing through daily, representing a surge of more than 70% compared to current traffic volumes.

In particular, the 900-meter section toward Dunsan is densely populated with child protection zones, such as elementary schools, making grade separation essential for traffic safety. For Section 2, the city plans to finalize specific implementation plans in connection with the Jukdong 2 District Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Plan and complete a feasibility study by May next year.

The Jangdae Intersection grade separation project is also progressing as planned. Although it was originally planned as a flat intersection, under the eighth popularly elected administration, the city reflected previously omitted traffic demand from Jukdong 2 District and Jangdae District, converting it to an east-west underground passage. The design is now in its final stages.

However, the city believes that, to achieve tangible results, it is essential to improve the overpass on the Honam Expressway branch and the structures from Guamgyo Four-way Intersection to Guam Station Three-way Intersection, and that these improvements should be promoted in conjunction with the expansion of the Honam Expressway branch.

According to the city's analysis, once the project is completed, more than 40% of traffic in the northwestern Daejeon area will be dispersed, and the travel time for chronic congestion sections such as Jangdae Intersection to Yuseong Life Science High School, currently taking 12.5 minutes, will be reduced to 5.8 minutes. The economic benefit is estimated to reach approximately 63.5 billion won.

Mayor Lee Jangwoo emphasized, "The section from Yuseong IC to Jangdae Intersection, Guamgyo Four-way Intersection, and Guam Station Three-way Intersection is the biggest bottleneck in northwestern Daejeon's traffic. This structural improvement project will disperse vehicles staying in Yuseong and the demand for passing through the Dunsan downtown area, bringing a revolutionary change to the overall traffic system."

He further stressed, "In particular, the grade separation of Guam Intersection is a core project to fundamentally resolve the chronic traffic congestion in the Yuseong area, and we will ensure that citizens can experience tangible results."

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