"77 Billion Lost, Another 32.9 Billion to Go?... When Will Gwangju Jisan IC Finally Open?"

Right-Side Exit Plan Faces Structural Issues, Sent Back for Further Review
329 Billion Won in Additional Funds Planned for New Jisan IC Design
Gwangju City: "We Will Supplement Safety Data and Accelerate Construction"

Despite spending 7.7 billion won to complete it, the Jisan IC on the Gwangju Second Ring Road—shut down after being deemed to have “up to 14.3 times higher accident risk”—is stuck in limbo. Although an additional 32.9 billion won in taxpayer money is set to be invested for a redesign to convert the exit to the right side, the project has been stalled for years, as it remains under reconsideration by the city’s Urban Planning Committee.

Jisan IC entrance and exit view. The Asia Business Daily DB

According to Gwangju City on June 23, the Jisan IC project began in 2015, aimed at dispersing traffic from the persistently congested Duaam IC and Hakwoon IC along the Second Ring Road. It was also intended to alleviate traffic problems around Duaam Town and improve access for citizens and tourists to Mudeungsan and the Jisan Amusement Park.

However, after the launch of the eighth popularly elected administration, an analysis of the safety of the Jisan IC exit revealed that the left-side exit method—where the distance between the tunnel and the exit is short—results in a failure rate for vehicle entry up to eight times higher than on general roads, and an accident risk up to 14.3 times higher. Accordingly, in November 2021, the city decided to close the existing facility, which had been completed at a cost of 7.7 billion won, and began a project to switch to a right-side exit.

The project encountered issues from the outset. In 2023, a bid for a 325 million won detailed design contract to build the right-side exit was canceled due to a lack of understanding of related regulations. In two subsequent re-biddings, not a single local company participated, prompting the city to expand the search nationwide—delaying administrative processes further.

Although plans were made to inject a large amount of additional taxpayer funds, the project remains indefinitely delayed. The city has allocated a total project budget of 32.9 billion won for the right-side exit conversion: 14.9 billion won for the first phase and 18 billion won for the second phase.

Even after preparing a new right-side exit plan with the additional funding, actual construction has hit a roadblock after the Urban Planning Committee recently decided the project requires further review. Previously, the committee had also raised structural concerns regarding the right-side plan, pointing out that the short distance between the tunnel exit and the on/off-ramp still carries a high risk of accidents.

The committee demanded a comprehensive reassessment and additional countermeasures, citing “serious safety concerns” in terms of weekday traffic analysis and operating speed for the design, which proposes narrowing the road from 3.5 meters to 3.2 meters and lowering the speed limit from 90 km/h to 80 km/h.

Currently, work on the Jisan IC entrance and exit is at a standstill, as the city prepares resubmission documents including objective safety data and supplementary materials requested by the Urban Planning Committee. The city plans to build retaining walls and embankments on certain sections of the Second Ring Road to expand from three to four lanes in one direction and use the rightmost lane as the exit, thereby reusing over 90% of existing facilities.

A city official explained, “The project was originally planned for the right side, but was changed to the left due to collective civil complaints. However, a study by a professional institution concluded that the accident risk was unacceptably high, so closure was inevitable for citizen safety.” The official added, “Although administrative procedures and contractor selection have been somewhat delayed, we are actively incorporating plans to utilize existing facilities to minimize budget waste. We will supplement the data needed to prove safety, pass the Urban Planning Committee’s re-examination, and move quickly to avoid any setbacks to our targeted construction schedule.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.