Jung Jun-ho: "Severe Traffic Congestion on Honam Expressway 'Donggwangju IC~Sanwol IC'"
Published 17 Oct.2024 14:56(KST)
Severe Traffic Congestion... Five Consecutive Years of Service Grade 'F'
"Expansion Project Needed with Additional National Funding"
The section of Honam Expressway from Donggwangju IC to Sanwol IC has been rated the lowest service grade, ‘F grade,’ for five consecutive years.
According to the National Assembly audit data submitted by Jeong Junho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangju Buk-gu Gap, from Korea Expressway Corporation on the 17th, this section received the lowest grade in an evaluation that classified appropriate traffic volume into six levels, and traffic volume has been increasing every year, making improvement urgent.
All four sections?‘Donggwangju IC to Yongbong IC,’ ‘Yongbong IC to Seogwangju IC,’ ‘Seogwangju IC to Dongnim IC,’ and ‘Dongnim IC to Sanwol IC’?were rated F grade, clearly showing that the entire Honam Expressway is experiencing severe traffic congestion. In particular, there is no section rated the highest grade, ‘A grade,’ on the Honam Expressway, and the overall average level remains at C to D grade, indicating an urgent need for comprehensive improvement.
The Honam Expressway expansion project passed the preliminary feasibility study in 2013, and in 2015, a total project cost-sharing agreement (50% national funds, 50% city funds) was signed between Gwangju City and the Korea Expressway Corporation. In 2022, the Ministry of Economy and Finance also completed a re-evaluation of feasibility.
Accordingly, the city planned to complete traffic management plan consultations and construction preparations by the end of this year and to start full-scale construction in January next year. However, as the share of costs has sharply increased, the financial burden on Gwangju City has intensified, and actual construction is expected to face difficulties.
Assemblyman Jeong said, “Although the Honam Expressway plays an important role as a national arterial road network, the expansion project has been delayed for over 10 years due to financial issues,” and added, “Through this year’s national audit, we will identify fundamental problems and seek additional national support and ways to reduce Gwangju City’s financial burden.”
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