Slow-Moving Ganghwa Coastal Loop Road Section 4: Partial Construction Begins

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Ganghwa County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on the 24th at the Changhu Pier in Hajeopmyeon for a partial section (Section 4-1) of the Coastal Loop Road Section 4, which has been stalled for a long time.

Section 4 (8.7 km) of the Ganghwa Coastal Loop Road, which was being promoted by Incheon City, extends from Hwangcheong-ri (Naega-myeon) to Inhwa-ri (Yangsa-myeon). Among these, the stretch from Changhu-ri (Hajeopmyeon) to Inhwa-ri (Yangsa-myeon) corresponds to Section 4-1 (2.0 km).

Section 4 began its design service work by Incheon City (General Construction Headquarters) in 2011. However, the project remained in a prolonged state of stagnation due to increased project costs from cultural heritage and environmental impact assessment consultations, as well as difficulties in securing budgets.

The county has been coordinating with Incheon City to directly carry out design service work and related permits and main construction for Section 4-1, which is viable for implementation.

As a result, design service work for the relevant section began in March of last year. Subsequently, by May, all related administrative procedures were completed, including cultural heritage site alteration permits, military review, landscape review, small-scale environmental and disaster impact assessments, and road area designation announcements.

Ganghwa County Governor Yu Cheon-ho stated, "Since the opening of the Kyodong Bridge, Changhu Port has lost its vitality, and with inconvenient transportation, visitor numbers have dropped sharply," adding, "Now that Section 4-1 has begun construction, we will complete the work quickly and restore vitality to the region."