Hwaseong~Gwacheon Expressway Passes KDI Feasibility Study... "Up to 53 Minutes Faster to Seoul"

Hwaseong~Gwacheon Expressway Passes KDI Feasibility Study
Gyeonggi Province Launches 1.8 Trillion Won Private Investment Project
Relief for Third-Phase New Town Traffic Congestion and 4 Trillion Won Economic Impact Expected

The private investment project for the Hwaseong~Gwacheon Expressway, which aims to resolve chronic traffic congestion in the southwestern region of Gyeonggi Province, has passed the feasibility study by the Korea Development Institute (KDI), accelerating the project’s progress.

Map of Hwaseong-Gwacheon Expressway Location. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Gyeonggi Province announced on May 11 that it received notification of the feasibility study’s approval from the KDI Public and Private Infrastructure Investment Management Center on April 29. With this, the core regional transportation axis project in southwestern Gyeonggi, which has been underway since 2022, has cleared administrative hurdles and entered a full-fledged phase.

The Hwaseong~Gwacheon Expressway is a large-scale project with a total length of 31.1 km, connecting Bongdam-eup in Hwaseong City to Gwanmun-dong in Gwacheon City, with a total project cost of approximately 1.8 trillion won.

This route was planned to proactively respond to the expected traffic demand resulting from the development of the third phase new towns such as Uiwang, Gunpo, and Ansan. In November 2024, the Hyosung Heavy Industries consortium (tentatively named Gyeonggi Smileway Co., Ltd.) proposed the project.

Once the expressway opens, the travel time from Bongdam, Hwaseong to downtown Seoul is expected to be significantly reduced by approximately 32 to 53 minutes compared to the current time.

Additionally, Gyeonggi Province estimates that traffic volume will be dispersed from chronically congested sections such as Local Road No. 309 and National Road No. 47. The province projects a daily reduction of up to 22,000 vehicles on Local Road No. 309, up to 26,000 vehicles on National Road No. 47 (Gunpo~Gwacheon section), and an average daily reduction of about 11,000 vehicles on the Gwacheon Jungang-ro section.

The economic impact is also expected to be substantial. Gyeonggi Province anticipates that the project will generate an economic ripple effect of over 4 trillion won and create approximately 19,000 jobs. This is expected to contribute not only to the recovery of the recently stagnant construction industry, but also to the overall revitalization of the southern Gyeonggi regional economy.

With the project having passed the feasibility study, the province plans to swiftly proceed with follow-up procedures, including a strategic environmental assessment, announcement for third-party proposals, selection of the preferred bidder, and the signing of the implementation agreement. At the same time, Gyeonggi Province will actively consult with central government agencies to secure funding sources such as contributions for metropolitan transportation improvement measures.

Bae Seongho, Director of Construction at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The Hwaseong~Gwacheon Expressway is a key regional transportation infrastructure that will transform the transportation landscape of southwestern Gyeonggi. With the passage of the feasibility study, we will ensure that subsequent administrative procedures proceed without delay, delivering tangible transportation improvements for our residents and laying the foundation for strengthening the competitiveness of the Seoul metropolitan area."

Meanwhile, the province plans to proactively expand regional transportation infrastructure in connection with the third phase new towns and large-scale public housing development projects in Uiwang, Gunpo, Ansan, and other areas. By implementing the ‘transportation first, move-in later’ principle, Gyeonggi Province aims to minimize transportation inconveniences during the initial move-in period.

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