Hwaseong Special City to Block Bibong-Maesong Urban Expressway Traffic on December 27-28

[Suwon Ilbo=Park Chan-hyuk Reporter] Hwaseong Special City announced on the 24th that it will temporarily close all traffic on the Bibong-Maesong Urban Expressway between 7 p.m. on December 27 and 8 a.m. on the 28th.

This is part of the Incheon-bound KTX direct railway project and is a measure to install a cross girder to allow the Bibong-Maesong Urban Expressway to be traversed. Doosan Engineering & Construction, the project contractor, plans to conduct the work on a weekend when traffic volume is lowest to minimize inconvenience to citizens.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on December 27 and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the 28th, 2 of the 4 lanes heading toward Suwon will be blocked, allowing traffic only in 2 lanes.

During the girder transportation and installation period from 7 p.m. on December 27 to 8 a.m. on the 28th, the Cheoncheon IC to Saemnae IC section will be fully closed.

The closure schedule is being announced through guidance banners, and when fully closed, vehicles can detour via National Route 98, and the entire Bibong-Maesong Urban Expressway will be open for free use.

Kim Ki-doo, Director of the Safety and Construction Bureau, said, "We plan to cooperate with relevant agencies to the maximum to minimize inconvenience caused by traffic closure and complete the work quickly with safety as the top priority," and added, "We ask for citizens' cooperation to ensure the smooth promotion of the Incheon-bound KTX direct railway project."

Meanwhile, the Incheon-bound KTX direct railway project is an initiative to improve accessibility to the western Seoul metropolitan area and strengthen the metropolitan transportation network. The project involves constructing 3.19 km of new railway connecting the Suin Line (Eocheon Station) to the Gyeongbu High-Speed Line and upgrading existing Songdo Station (Incheon), Choji Station (Ansan), and Eocheon Station (Hwaseong).