Jungwang IC Improvement Project Delayed, Traffic Congestion Worsens

Controversy is mounting over the sluggish progress of the Third Gyeonggi Expressway's 'Jungwang IC Improvement Project.'

Rep. Choi Jae-baek (Democratic Party, Siheung District 3) stated, "Gyeonggi Province has illegally used 54,000 pyeong of Siheung City public land without land compensation since January 31, 2006 for the Third Gyeonggi Expressway site." He added, "When Siheung City filed a complaint with the Central Land Expropriation Committee, Gyeonggi Province agreed to compensate 26.5 billion won in cash out of the total 57.1 billion won in land compensation, and to allocate the remaining 30.6 billion won entirely for the Jungwang IC improvement project, which has been causing chronic traffic congestion following the expressway's opening. A compensation agreement and purchase contract were executed on September 17, 2010."

Rep. Choi further criticized, "Nevertheless, Gyeonggi Province has failed to appropriate budget for the Jungwang IC improvement project not only in 2011 and 2012, but also in the 2013 main budget. Gyeonggi Province, in its dominant position as 'the stronger party,' has been breaching the contract for the past three years and mocking the basic local government with its superior status."

As a result, the Provincial Council's Construction and Transportation Committee newly allocated 3 billion won for the Third Gyeonggi Expressway's Jungwang IC improvement project through budget adjustment in next year's main budget.

However, as concerns arose during the budget and settlement committee review, Rep. Choi stated, "The citizens of Siheung have waited for three years trusting only Gyeonggi Province's promises. We can no longer endure the damage from traffic congestion. The citizens of Siheung are watching closely the actions of Gyeonggi Province, which has been treating the land purchase agreement as waste paper and remaining silent for the past three years." He demanded the swift implementation of the Jungwang IC improvement project.

Meanwhile, the Third Gyeonggi Expressway (14.2 km), a road in which a total construction cost of 738 billion won (60% private investment, 40% provincial funding) has been invested to resolve chronic traffic congestion in the southwestern metropolitan region, is currently unable to function properly due to delays in the Jungwang IC improvement project.