Goheung County Accelerates Expansion of National Road No. 15 Between Goheung and Bongrae

Reflected in the Amendment to the 5th National Road and National Route Construction Plan
Basic and Detailed Design to Begin in 2026, Construction to Commence in 2028

On October 31, the county government of Goheung in South Jeolla Province (Governor Gong Youngmin) announced that the "Gohung-Bongrae National Road No. 15 Expansion Project" will gain momentum for rapid implementation following the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s amendment and official notice of the "5th National Road and National Route Construction Plan (2021-2025)" on October 30.

The "Gohung-Bongrae National Road No. 15 Expansion Project" involves widening a 31.7-kilometer section from Hoheung-ri in Goheung-eup to Yenae-ri (Naro Space Center) in Bongrae-myeon from the current two lanes to four lanes. The total project cost is estimated at 652.1 billion won, based on the preliminary feasibility study.

Location map of the Gohung-Bongrae National Road No. 15 expansion project.

Near the Naro Space Center in Bongrae-myeon, Goheung County, the "Goheung Space Launch Vehicle Industry Cluster" is being established. This cluster includes the National Space Launch Vehicle Industrial Complex (being promoted as a project exempt from preliminary feasibility studies), the Space Launch Vehicle Technology Commercialization Center, a private space launch site, and other core infrastructure.

Currently, National Road No. 15 is the only road connecting to the Naro Space Center. However, as a two-lane road, it is narrow and winding, which limits logistics movement and makes improving the road environment an urgent issue.

Accordingly, the road expansion has been identified as an essential task for the early development of the Goheung Space Launch Vehicle Advanced Industry Cluster and for supporting the settlement of companies. It has also long been considered a key local aspiration.

Taking this urgent situation into account, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport prepared an amendment to include the "Gohung-Bongrae National Road No. 15 Expansion Project" in the "5th National Road and National Route Construction Plan (2021-2025)" instead of the "6th National Road and National Route Construction Plan (2026-2030)."

With this plan, the foundation has been laid for the rapid implementation of the "Gohung-Bongrae National Road No. 15 Expansion Project." The county plans to begin basic and detailed design work in 2026 and to commence full-scale construction in 2028, ensuring thorough preparation for a seamless process.

Furthermore, once the project is underway, mobility and accessibility between Goheung-eup and the Space Launch Vehicle Cluster will be greatly improved, reducing travel time from 60 minutes to 20 minutes (a 40-minute reduction). By supporting the establishment of a safe and efficient overland transportation system for space launch vehicles, the project is expected to become a core infrastructure that underpins the success of the national space policy.

Governor Gong Youngmin stated, "We, together with over 60,000 residents and more than 700,000 people from Goheung living elsewhere, warmly welcome the early budget allocation made possible by the inclusion in the 5th National Road and National Route Construction Plan." He added, "The implementation of this project is the greatest achievement for Goheung’s development, and I deeply thank the National Assembly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and all related officials for their efforts in reflecting this in the national plan."

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