2024-07-21 12:32:24
Expectations are rising for the construction of the Jeonju-Daegu direct expressway. As President Yoon Seok-yeol visited Jeollabuk-do and promised to expedite the construction of the Jeonju-Daegu expressway, the construction of the east-west expressway network from Saemangeum to Pohang is expected to accelerate.
This is expected to expand the east-west axis, which is inferior to the north-south axis centered on the metropolitan area, thereby promoting exchanges between Honam and Yeongnam and balanced regional development, and also to shorten the detour distance, which is expected to have greater time and economic savings effects.
On the 19th, the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province announced that, as President Yoon Seok-yeol emphasized the importance of expanding the transportation network at the ‘People’s Livelihood Discussion with the People’ held the day before on the 18th and instructed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to quickly promote the Jeonju-Daegu Expressway construction project, a speedy project promotion is expected in the future.
The national highway network consists of 10 north-south axes and 10 east-west axes. Of the 10 east-west axes, three east-west axes are highway sections that run from Saemangeum to Pohang. The Daegu-Pohang section is currently in operation, and the Saemangeum-Jeonju section is under construction, with the goal of opening by the end of next year.
The Jeonju-Daegu Expressway is a project to expand the east-west axis by constructing the undeveloped Jeonju-Daegu section among the three east-west axes between Saemangeum and Pohang, thereby promoting exchange between Honam and Yeongnam and promoting balanced regional development.
This project is necessary to improve the efficiency of the east-west three-axis of the expressway (10×10 axis) by connecting the current Jeonju-Jangsu-Muju section (75 km) to a Jeonju-Muju direct route (42 km), shortening the detour distance (33 km), and greatly improving regional accessibility between the two regions.
At the people’s livelihood discussion forum, CEO Jeong Dae-mok of Jiin E&C stated, “Compared to the north-south roads centered around the metropolitan area, the roads from Jeonju to Daegu, Gyeongju, and other Gyeongsang-do provinces are poor.” He added, “In reality, to get from Jeonju to Daegu, you have to take the Iksan-Jangsu Expressway and the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway down to Hamyang and then get back up on the Gwangju-Daegu Expressway, which takes 180 km and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to Daegu,” and suggested the need to build a highway connecting Jeonju and Daegu.
In response, Lee Woo-je, director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Road Bureau, said, “The promotion procedure for expressway construction is as follows: 1) reflection in the national upper-level plan, 2) preliminary feasibility study and preliminary feasibility study, and 3) design and construction.” He continued, “According to the procedure, the section from Muju to Seongju is reflected in the national upper-level plan, so we plan to begin feasibility studies in the second half of the year and apply for preliminary feasibility studies early next year.”
He then responded, “The Jeonju-Muju section is not reflected in the national upper-level plan, so we plan to revise the National Trunk Road Network Comprehensive Plan, which is the national upper-level plan, starting early next year. We will analyze various positive effects, such as the effect of balanced regional development and revitalization of exchanges between the Yeongnam and Honam regions, and actively collect opinions from local governments.”
President Yoon Seok-yeol also recalled an anecdote from his days as a prosecutor where he had a difficult time making a business trip to Jeonju, and said, “There is a highway from Jeonju to Gyeongnam, but there is a problem going from Jeonju to Gyeongbuk.” He ordered the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to quickly build the Jeonju-Daegu Highway, and emphasized the importance of transportation to ensure fair accessibility to the region.
This is in line with the statement made in the ‘National Report and Press Conference for the Past Two Years’ that “we have been working to ensure that all regions of our country, including roads and railways, have fair transportation accessibility” as one of the three principles of regional balance.
Among the Jeonju-Daegu Expressway, the Seongju-Daegu section, which was included as a key project in the 2nd Expressway Construction Plan (’21-’25, ‘22.2. Notification), is currently undergoing a preliminary feasibility study and must pass the preliminary feasibility study, while the Muju-Seongju section, which was included as a general project, must undergo a preliminary feasibility study procedure after the pre-feasibility study.
The Jeonju-Muju Expressway, which is not reflected in the expressway construction plan, should be reflected first in the national road network comprehensive plan, which is the upper level plan, and should also be reflected as a new project in the ｢3rd Expressway Construction Plan (’26-’30)｣.
In addition, the construction of the Muju-Seongju Expressway will greatly improve transportation services in Muju-gun and Seongju-gun, which are transportation-vulnerable areas, and will directly connect the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway and the Central Inland Line, thereby supplementing the Gyeongbu Line and completing the east-west axis from Saemangeum to Pohang.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Autonomous Province has been actively suggesting the need to reflect the construction of an expressway from Jeonju to Daegu, which was a regional pledge of the President, in order to improve the vulnerable transportation infrastructure in the east-west axis, and has been continuously working to reflect it in the national plan and promote the project.
The Jeonbuk Autonomous Province plans to continue to work closely with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and related local governments to ensure that the construction of the Jeonju-Daegu Expressway can proceed quickly in the future, and to do everything possible to reflect it in the expressway construction plan and implement administrative procedures.
Jeonbuk Provincial Construction and Transportation Bureau Director Kim Gwang-su said, “We will do our best with a challenging spirit so that the Jeonju-Daegu Expressway can be completed as soon as possible.”
Queen Choi Ha Na Reporter
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2024-07-21 12:32:24