Hanam City Wins Additional Selection in Contest for Underground Utility Work on Two Sections of Deokpung Market and Namhan Middle School Route

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) announced on February 19 that two sections, including the area around Deokpung Market and the school route between Namhan Middle School and Jangji Village, were finally selected in the Korea Electric Power Corporation-led contest for the "2026 Underground Utility Project Requested by Local Governments."

Undergrounding location map. Provided by Hanam-si

The newly selected sections total 1,010 meters in length: 470 meters in the Deokpung Market area (662 Deokpung-dong) and 540 meters along the school route connecting Namhan Middle School to Jangji Village.

The Deokpung Market section is an extension route that connects directly to an existing underground utility project section, and the city plans to maximize the effect of urban maintenance by expanding the project without breaks. As with the existing Phase 2 project, the Namhan Middle School–Jangji Village section will focus on creating a safe route to school.

In particular, this selection in the contest reflects consideration of both connectivity with existing projects and the creation of a safe school route, and it is expected to further accelerate the development of streets that improve the urban landscape and enhance pedestrian safety.

The total project cost is estimated at approximately 12 billion won, with Hanam City covering 50% and Korea Electric Power Corporation and telecommunications companies sharing the remaining 50%. The city plans to sign an underground utility implementation agreement with Korea Electric Power Corporation in May this year, begin design work in September, and start construction in March 2027.

Hanam City has been systematically promoting underground utility projects to improve the environment of the old downtown. Among the sections currently underway, Phase 1 in the Sinjang Traditional Market area has completed its major processes and is scheduled for completion in March, when a pleasant street free of utility poles will soon be presented to citizens. The Phase 2 section around the Namhan High School school route is also currently undergoing detailed design, with construction to begin as soon as possible.

Mayor Lee Hyunjae said, "The simultaneous selection of two sections in this contest is the result of high recognition for Hanam City's meticulous preliminary preparations and strong commitment to driving the project forward," adding, "We will not rest on this achievement, but will proactively identify areas in need of underground utility work and continue to apply for such contests in the future."

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