Gyeonggi Province Focuses on State-Supported Regional Road Construction Projects

State-supported regional road construction projects in Gyeonggi Province are expected to gain momentum this year through strategic prioritization and focused investment.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 14th that it plans to prioritize state-supported regional road construction projects that receive national funding support, in order to actively respond to the reality that SOC budgets are being reduced due to worsening provincial finances and increased welfare spending.

First, the detailed design work for the 13.3-kilometer road expansion project on National Route 39 from Songchu IC to Gwangjuk, a long-standing project demanded by residents in northern Gyeonggi Province, will commence in the second half of this year following a re-examination of feasibility.

National Route 39 is a road that significantly impacts industrial development and regional balanced growth in northwestern Gyeonggi Province, connecting Seoul, Yangju, Dongducheon, and Yeoncheon. The necessity of road expansion has been raised for a long time, but project implementation was delayed as the project entity shifted to private developers due to financial constraints.

In response, the province determined last year that private project implementation was no longer feasible and decided to proceed as a public financing project. Through continuous coordination and recommendations with the central government, the province achieved the result of having design service costs reflected in the 2014 national budget.

The province will closely coordinate with central government agencies to enable early construction to commence on the 5.7-kilometer Gana to Sangsu section of National Route 39, for which detailed design has already been completed. The province also plans to partially open the road expansion project on National Route 56 from Beophwon to Sangsu—commonly known as the "Hyo-soon and Mi-sun Road"—in March this year, with full completion planned for the end of November.

Additionally, a total of 22.2 kilometers of road projects are scheduled for completion or partial opening, including National Route 78 Goyang Deokyang to Paju Yongmi, Route 23 Hwaseong Dongtan to Yongin Giheung, Route 56 Paju Jori to Beophwon, and Route 98 Ansan Bonno to Hwaseong Omok-cheon.

Moreover, there are newly planned state-supported regional road projects entering the detailed design phase or beginning construction. Detailed design work will commence on National Route 39 from Yangju Songchu IC to Gwangjuk, Route 78 from Paju Jori to Pyeongpyeong (11.8 kilometers), and new construction will begin on Route 84 from Gimpo Choji Bridge to Incheon (7.9 kilometers) and Gwangju Silchon to Manseon (4.3 kilometers).