Express highways linking Suwon, Uiwang, Pyeongtaek, and Yangjaeto are being opened and newly constructed in succession, densifying the metropolitan transportation network of the Suwon region and expected to significantly alleviate traffic congestion in southern Gyeonggi Province.
In particular, roads connecting western Suwon with Seoul and southwestern Gyeonggi Province are expected to establish western Suwon as a major transportation hub.
An expressway connecting western Suwon, Osan, and Pyeongtaek is scheduled to open in October next year, and the western Suwon-Uiwang express highway connecting to Cheonggye-dong in Uiwang City is set to begin construction next year.
The western Suwon-Osan-Pyeongtaek expressway (total length 38.5 km, four to six lanes in both directions), which Gyeonggi Province is developing as a logistics hub connecting to Pyeongtaek, will require a total investment of approximately 1.1154 trillion won.
This road will be constructed as a cross-shaped thoroughfare, running east-west from Bongdam-eup to Dongtan-myeon in Hwaseong City and north-south from Oseong-myeon in Pyeongtaek to Taean-eup in Hwaseong City. Following the groundbreaking in June 2005, the project will be completed over 52 months and is scheduled to open in October next year.
Once this expressway opens, it is expected to supplement the north-south arterial network in southern Seoul Metropolitan Area and serve as a secondary capital region axis. These areas have experienced chronic congestion at the junctions connecting the Gyeongbu, West Coast, and Yeongdong expressways, but the new road is expected to provide traffic distribution effects and reduce average travel time by approximately 20 to 30 percent.
Additionally, expansion work on the western Suwon-Uiwang express highway coordinating with this road is being pursued. A private-sector proposal project (193 billion won) is underway to expand the 12.04 km section of the western Suwon-Uiwang express highway connecting Geumgok-dong and Cheonggye-dong in Uiwang from four lanes in both directions to six to eight lanes.
Accordingly, the province and Suwon City held community briefing sessions in Suwon and Uiwang on the 17th and 18th. Gyeonggi Southern Roads Co., Ltd. (tentative name), designated as the preferred bidder, plans to complete environmental and traffic impact assessments by year-end, begin construction in January next year, and complete the project by June 2012.
The western Suwon-Gwangmyeong expressway (26.3 km, four to six lanes in both directions), whose private-sector project negotiations are currently ongoing, is also expected to establish western Suwon as a key city linking Seoul and southwestern Gyeonggi Province if the project is confirmed. In particular, the logistics competitiveness of industrial zones scattered across Suwon, Hwaseong, Balan, and Pyeongtaek will be greatly improved, potentially generating billions of won in annual logistics cost savings.
Once all these roads are completed, traffic congestion in southwestern metropolitan areas including western Suwon, Bongdam and Dongtan in Hwaseong, and Uiwang is expected to improve. Additionally, express highway construction between Yeongdeung and Yangjaeto (total 24.5 km) is underway. The express highway, being pursued as a private-sector project, is scheduled to open in the second half of 2009. This road will connect Seoul's Segok-dong in Gangnam-gu to Dongtan New City.
A city official stated, "With excellent connectivity to expressways and completion of roads linking surrounding areas, industrial zones located in the western Suwon region are expected to be considerably activated," and added, "Since the 2015 Urban Management Plan focuses on development in the western Suwon region, it will also contribute to balanced regional development."
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