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Four Busan Projects Selected for the 5th Metropolitan Area Traffic Congestion Road Improvement Plan, Securing KRW 252.7 Billion in National Funding

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced today (the 5th) that four Busan projects have been included in the “5th Metropolitan Area Traffic Congestion Road Improvement Plan (2026–2030)” announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), securing KRW 252.7 billion in national funding, with full-scale implementation to begin this year.

This plan is formulated by MOLIT every five years since 2006 in accordance with the Road Act to alleviate traffic congestion on major arterial roads in metropolitan areas.

With the inclusion of congestion improvement routes submitted by the city in a balanced manner across different areas, in addition to the Bansong Tunnel, the 5th plan is expected to strengthen key arterial axes across Busan and significantly enhance connectivity between urban centers and outlying areas.

The four projects amount to a total of KRW 653.9 billion and include the Bansong Tunnel, the Uiseong-ro–Namhae Expressway Link Road, the expansion of the Riverside Boulevard–Geumgok-ro Link Road, and the construction of the Haeundae-daero Underpass.

The Bansong Tunnel is the remaining section required to build the outer ring road network connecting Hoedong-dong in Geumjeong-gu and Songjeong-dong in Haeundae-gu. It consists of three projects: construction of the Bansong Tunnel access road (Hoedong Tunnel), the Bansong Tunnel public-private partnership project, and construction of the Bansong Tunnel access road. Once the tunnel opens, central and eastern Busan will be connected via the shortest route, reducing travel time by approximately 26 to 35 minutes compared to using existing Haeundae-daero and Bansong-ro.

The Uiseong-ro–Namhae Expressway Link Road project aims to secure connectivity between the Namhae Expressway and the Uiseong-ro route, dispersing traffic demand on the expressway and alleviating congestion on Uiseong-ro in Buk-gu.

The Riverside Boulevard–Geumgok-ro Link Road Expansion project involves expanding the Geumgok Interchange (IC), which connects Riverside Boulevard and Geumgok-daero, from two lanes to four lanes to resolve bottlenecks during peak hours.

The Haeundae-daero Underpass Construction project seeks to improve vehicle circulation in the Osiria Tourism Complex by installing underpasses at Songjeong Samgeori and Songjeong Eogwi Samgeori to secure uninterrupted traffic flow, enabling vehicles to travel freely without the influence of external traffic control facilities such as traffic signals.

In particular, the Bansong Tunnel had been excluded from the first through fourth plans due to insufficient economic feasibility. However, through the city’s proactive presentation of benefits such as transportation demand generated by nearby development plans, it was selected as Busan’s top-priority project in the 5th plan, marking a significant achievement.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to swiftly carry out feasibility studies and procedures to secure national funding for the selected projects and establish phased construction schedules. The city also intends to strengthen advance guidance and communication to minimize inconvenience to citizens during construction and actively reflect public opinions.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “These projects are expected to serve as a decisive catalyst for resolving bottlenecks between eastern and western Busan and strengthening connectivity across the entire city. The inclusion of these projects represents recognition by the central government of major issues that our city has continuously raised and is a highly significant achievement that will elevate Busan’s future transportation system to the next level, enhancing mobility convenience and urban competitiveness that citizens can truly feel.”

He further emphasized, “We will work closely with the central government to ensure the projects proceed without setbacks, and we will continue to do our utmost to create a citizen-centered transportation environment.”