This photo shows the route of the projected Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel.

 A project to build a 7.53 km-long underground tunnel below Jemulpo Road, which leads from Shinwoel Interchange — the existing representative traffic bottleneck junction between the Gyeongin Expressway and Nambu Ring Road — to Yeoui Grand Road in Yeouido, will be launched.

The project is being implemented by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and Seoul Tunnel Co., Ltd., a consortium led by Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. The build-transfer-operate (BTO) project will cost 454.6 billion won. Seoul Tunnel Co., Ltd.  is composed of a total of eight major contractors, including Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd., Hyundai E&C, GS E&C, Hyundai Amco, Kumho Industrial, Lotte E&C, Dongkwang Construction Co.,and Gyeongnam Enterprise.

The private sector submitted a proposal to build the underground tunnel in July of 2007, and the consortium led by Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. was chosen as a preferred bidder for negotiations in 2011 after obtaining approval on the deliberation of the PPI project. The project will break ground for the first half of this year, and it will be opened to traffic in 2020.

Currently Jemulpo Road — a motorway — bisects the Yangcheon and Gangseo areas, hinders the development of the region, and causes traffic inconveniences to those who travel between northern and southern sides, thus becoming a long-standing issue for neighborhood residents who have been demanding for conversion into an underground road. 

“Some 60,000 cars traveling among Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi areas are projected to use the tunnel, reducing surface traffic and easing traffic snarls,” an SMG official said. An environment impact survey has been conducted on the project, and it will break ground in June, the official said. 

The 7.53 km-long, four lane tunnel road will be built on the second floor below the Shinwoel Interchange-Yeouido-dong section of Jemulpo Road to ease traffic snarls on the existing surface road.(Photos:Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd.)

The Shinjeong-dong-Hwagok-dong section of Jemulpo Road will also change from a motorway into a general road to provide residents more access to the road. 

Once Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel is opened, the travel time of the section will likely be reduced dramatically from 40 minutes to 10 minutes, SMG said. The government also decided to implement a project to create the planned green area of the existing Jemulpo Road to make room for cultural facilities and residents’ community space. Infrastructure such as parking facilities will be expanded, and elevated structures will be also removed to improve the surrounding landscape. 

The project calls for the construction of the Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel — a 7.53 km-long, four-lane tunnel on the second basement floor below the Shinwoel Interchange-Yeouido-dong section of the current Jemulpo Road.

A four-lane underground road will be also built on the first basement floor below the Shinwoel Interchange-Mokdong Bridge section. The surface road of the section will change into an eco-friendly space encompassing two to four traffic lanes. Parks and bicycle roads will be also built in the eco-friendly area.

The one-way toll charge for the tunnel will determined somewhere between 2,200 won and 2,400 won on an inflation-adjusted basis. 

SMG predicts that out of the 200,000  cars traveling through the Shinwoel Interchange section, 60,000 vehicles will use the Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel, and more than 120,000 cars will utilize the first basement floor road. 

SMG decided to collect tolls from the second basement floor Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel and make the other road toll-free, the official said. “Seoul and Incheon citizens will choose between the toll tunnel and toll-free road according to their purpose,” he said.  Motorists using Seoul Jemulpo Tunnel will reach Yeouido in 10 minutes, and the eco-friendly surface space will enhance the quality of neighborhood residents’ lives, he added.