Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway to Enter Service on February 10: Finalizing Inner Ring Corridor After 25 Years
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Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway to Enter Service on February 10: Finalizing Inner Ring Corridor After 25 Years
□ The Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway will hold its opening ceremony on February 9, 2026, and become operational on February 10. As a result, traffic is expected to be relieved at chronically crowded zones—Mandeok-daero in Buk-gu and Chungnyeol-daero in Dongnae-gu.
○ By leveraging Korea’s first deep underground tunnel* for every class of vehicle, drivers will be able to reach Jaesong-dong in Haeundae-gu directly from Mandeok-dong in Buk-gu, bypassing Mandeok Intersection in Buk-gu; Minam, Naeseong, Dongnae, and Allak Intersections in Dongnae-gu; or Wondong IC Intersection in Haeundae-gu.
○ Travel time will drop dramatically from 42 to 11 minutes, saving 31 minutes and contributing to smoother and faster flow on existing thoroughfares.
* The tunnel is excavated approximately 40 meters below ground. Busan’s mountainous and coastal terrain makes standardized roadway layouts challenging, which is why this method was applied to the Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway.
□ The Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway is considered the last missing piece of Busan’s inner ring road network*, originally envisioned in 2001. The city’s 25 years of dedication have now borne fruit.
*66 Square (Sinpyeong-dong) ~ Deokcheon IC ~ Mandeok-Centum ~ Gwangandaegyo Bridge ~ Busanhangdaegyo Bridge ~ Yeongdo Connecting Overpass ~ Namhangdaegyo Bridge ~ Cheonmasan Tunnel ~ Jangpyeong Underpass ~ 66 Square (Sinpyeong-dong)
○ Pursuant to the Busan Road Blueprint of 2001 and its revisions in 2007 and 2012, action plans comprising inner ring roads, port feeder arteries, and private investment projects were faithfully executed.
○ Subsequently, Busan inaugurated the Jangpyeong Underpass in 2023 and the Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway in 2026 and built an innovative solution that alleviates downtown bottlenecks and enables uninterrupted movement.
○ In order to consolidate efficiency around the expressway’s endpoints, Busan ▲ commissioned the Gwangandaegyo accessway in 2025, ▲ is carrying out optimizations for the Deokcheon (Hwamyeong)-Yangsan mobility system and the extension of Jungang-daero, and ▲ will complete the Suyeonggang Human Bridge in 2026, forging a more walkable civic space.
□ The development of Busan’s spatial structure, which also encompasses outer ring roads* and peripheral expressways**, and strengthened interfaces with national backbone infrastructure, such as Gadeokdo New Airport, North Port, New Port, the city’s hinterlands, and railways, is poised to boost the city’s competitiveness as a global logistics gateway.
*Outer Ring Road Network (partially completed): 66 Square (Sinpyeong-dong) ~ Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex ~ New Port Hinterland Road ~ Daedong Hwamyeongdaegyo Bridge ~ Sanseong Tunnel ~ Bansong Tunnel ~ Dongbusan IC ~ BEXCO IC
**Peripheral Expressway Network (completed): New Port ~ Namhae Expressway Branch 3 ~ Namhae Expressway ~ Busan Outer Ring Expressway ~ Donghae Expressway
○ The outer ring road network links Busan’s outskirts, with full completion scheduled upon construction of the remaining Bansong Tunnel.
□ Even after the commencement of the Mandeok-Centum Urban Expressway, Busan will monitor circulation patterns and fine-tune entry and exit schemes at Mandeok, Dongnae, and Centum ICs.
○ Anchored in wide-area and circular transportation foundations that integrate major nodes, Busan aims at establishing a polycentric urban model that seamlessly connects all parts of the city.
○ In the context of population decline and slow growth, it will expand the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam sphere of influence beyond administrative boundaries while promoting cooperation and solidarity.
□ Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “I trust this deep underground roadway will not only mitigate congestion but also bolster the surface transport framework, elevate pedestrian-friendly environments, and accelerate the shift toward green transit. Furthermore, by strategically utilizing road spaces in the surroundings of metropolitan centers and ten core hubs, we will foster the conditions for 15-minute neighborhoods and amplify the impact of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region.”
Tolls will be introduced on the Mandeok–Centum Urban Expressway starting February 19, 2026. For passenger vehicles, a toll of KRW 2,500 will be charged for travel between Mandeok IC and Centum IC during peak hours—7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the morning and 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the evening.
