Chief of Construction Office Chung Kook-young.

A view of the Osibcheon Bridge in the Samcheok-Donghae Highway.

The sections of the Samcheok-Donghae Highway and four sections of the Yangyang-Sokcho Highway that are being built in the East Coast regions will be ready to open for traffic in September and November, respectively, according to the Samcheok-Sockcho Construction Team of the Korea Expressway Corp. headed by Chung Kook-young.

The highway sections are built with new construction methods to make the new highways environmentally friendly when vehicles travel up to 100 km/h. Major installations on the highways include four gateways in such places as South Samcheok, Samcheok, North Yangyang, and Sokcho, one intersection in Yangyang, nine tunnels including Maengbang Tunnel, and 64 bridges.

A view of the Sorak Mountain Bridge in the 6th Section of the Jumunjin-Sokcho HIghway.

The Samschok Donghae Highway starts from Sangmaengbang-ri, Keundok County, Samcheok City, Gangwon Province and connects Jiheung-dong, Donghae City, Gangwon Province over a distance of 18.6 km in four lanes at a total cost of 585.4 billion won. The study of the highway sections was completed in December 2005, followed by design work in July 2008. Construction kicked off in March 2009.

The Yangyang-Sokcho Highway starts from Wol-ri, Yangyang, Gangwon Province and connects Choyang-dong, Sokcho, Gangwon Province stretching for 18.5 km with four lanes, built at a total cost of 667.5 billion won. The initial study on the highway was completed in November 1998, followed by design work in December 2007. Construction kicked off in January 2009.

Chief of Construction Office Chung was very careful in selecting staff for the unit to manage and run the highway projects based on their experience and knowhow. They have strictly adhered to 30 tasks for the prevention of accidents by improving the safety facilities and 50 tasks to improve, as well as to build, highways that are easy to manage and control. Team Head Chung’s moves helped to create safe and pleasurable driving conditions and maximize maintenance control and management of the highways.

A view of the Yangyang Interchange in the 4th Section of the Jumunjin-Sokcho Highway.

At the same time, the construction team published a collection containing 60 items on designing standards and system improvements to strengthen the cooperative ties between the design and construction units. The items included feedback from how the project progressed during the eight years of construction and completion so that the knowhow can be transferred and further developed, including changes in design that occurred in about 1,000 cases, which were analyzed and put into data.

The highway construction projects, which took a 1.25 trillion won investment, will cut 50 minutes and 8.7 km off a commute. It will save 120 billion won in annual logistics costs and reduce generation of 4,400 tons of Co2 annually, equal to planting 43,000 pine trees and also expected to develop the Eastern Seaboard regions of the country with improved accessibility. 

 To uphold the special features of the highways designed to enliven tourism in the regions that they pass through, various sculptures were installed along the highways to allow commuters to enjoy the scenic beauty of the regions, including the sunrise in the East Sea, salmon caught near Yangyang, mushrooms and theme parks along the highways. It idea is that Yongdong Region’s economic development will be further fanned through tourism.

A view of the No.1 Jinheung Bridge in the 4th Section of the Samcheok-Donghae Highway.(Photos: KEC)