Munsu-ro Bypass in Ulsan Selected for Preliminary Feasibility Study, Project Gains Momentum

137.7 Billion Won Invested in New Four-Lane Road

"Dispersing Traffic Ahead of Move-In for 10,000 Households"

As a series of development projects is expected to increase traffic volume on Munsu-ro in Nam-gu, Ulsan, a new bypass road is being planned.

Currently, Munsu-ro experiences chronic congestion, and with the upcoming move-in of more than 10,000 households, traffic is expected to worsen. Amid these concerns, the city of Ulsan has cleared the first hurdle toward establishing a new road.

On the 27th, Ulsan City announced that the “Munsu-ro Bypass Road Construction Project” has been selected as a candidate project for a preliminary feasibility study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The Munsu-ro bypass road project aims to disperse the traffic volume currently causing persistent congestion on Munsu-ro. With various development initiatives such as urban redevelopment and reconstruction underway, the need for the project has grown as traffic congestion is expected to further intensify once more than 10,000 new households move in.

The total project budget amounts to 137.7 billion won. The key element of the project is the construction of a new four-lane, two-way road spanning 2.61 kilometers from the southern Ulsan Beltway in Mugeo-Ok-dong District to Geoma-ro at Namsan Leisure Sports Park.

This project was included in the “5th Metropolitan Area Road Congestion Improvement Project Plan” established by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in February this year.

The Metropolitan Area Road Congestion Improvement Project Plan is a mid-to-long-term plan established by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport every five years to alleviate traffic congestion in metropolitan areas. The plan includes target roads, annual objectives, and investment scales.

Since the project was included in this plan, Ulsan City has continually worked to persuade central government agencies and other stakeholders to select it as a candidate for a preliminary feasibility study.

In particular, the city has highlighted both the ongoing chronic congestion on Munsu-ro and the realistic prospect of 10,000 new households moving into the area, which could further exacerbate traffic congestion. Officials have visited the Metropolitan Transport Commission, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Korea Development Institute in succession to underscore the urgency of the project.

Being selected as a candidate for a preliminary feasibility study is viewed as a critical turning point for the project. The study is expected to take around 10 months, and if the project's feasibility is affirmed, Ulsan City plans to begin the detailed design in the first half of 2028.

Once the Munsu-ro bypass is constructed, it is expected not only to alleviate persistent congestion on Munsu-ro by dispersing current traffic but also to handle the increased traffic demand expected from the move-in of large-scale residential complexes in the future.

Ulsan City will now concentrate its administrative resources on passing the preliminary feasibility study and strengthen cooperation with the central government to expedite the project timeline as much as possible.

Sangwook Kim, Mayor of Ulsan, stated, “Munsu-ro is already a chronically congested road, and future traffic snarls are expected to worsen, making the establishment of a bypass road an urgent necessity. Today's selection as a candidate for a preliminary feasibility study is the result of Ulsan City’s active efforts.”

He added, “We will do our utmost to deliver tangible improvements to the transportation environment that citizens can feel, by working closely with the central government and expediting administrative procedures to ensure the early completion of the Munsu-ro bypass.”

Ulsan City Hall.

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