Table of Contents
- Will the Sasong IC be established? Yangsan City officially announces the phased advancement of the Sasong Hi-Pass IC in both directions
- Yangsan City secures golden time for the project with 'Two-Track Strategy' for Sasong IC
- Seoul Direction IC to begin with feasibility study using city budget
- Referring to similar cases... Swift action to prevent project delays
- Naturally, new ICs in the metropolitan area... Why is it delayed in rural areas?
- Conclusion
Will the Sasong IC be established? Yangsan City officially announces the phased advancement of the Sasong Hi-Pass IC in both directions
Yangsan City is actively promoting the project of 'Installation of Sasong Hi-Pass IC in both directions' to improve the transportation infrastructure of Sasong New Town.
This project, which has not progressed for several years, is now quickly advancing with a 'Two-Track Strategy', providing an opportunity to fulfill the long-held wishes of local residents.
Yangsan City secures golden time for the project with 'Two-Track Strategy' for Sasong IC
Yangsan City has decided to promote the installation project of Sasong Hi-Pass IC in two directions. First, it will proceed towards Busan, while conducting a separate feasibility study for the direction towards Seoul. This dual strategy reflects the city's intention to strategically secure leadership while resolving the cost-sharing issues that are the main cause of project delays.
The ongoing feasibility study is being conducted following the adjustment results of the Metropolitan Area Transport Committee in September 2023, and the project costs for the installation of the Hi-Pass IC towards Busan have been agreed to be shared by Yangsan City and LH. Based on this, the feasibility and traffic demand surveys are scheduled to be conducted starting March 2024.
Once the results of this study are produced, the city plans to submit the feasibility report to the Korea Expressway Corporation and swiftly commence the project licensing procedure. This is seen as a way to improve the convenience of transportation for residents of Sasong New Town and lay the groundwork for future expansion towards Seoul.
Seoul Direction IC to begin with feasibility study using city budget
The problematic point is in the direction of Seoul. LH has shown a negative stance towards the installation of the IC towards Seoul, making joint promotion difficult. Therefore, Yangsan City plans to utilize the city budget to commission a separate feasibility study next year. In this process, it aims to secure national funding and reduce project costs through economic analysis (B/C) and site selection.
The installation of the IC towards Seoul can only be seriously pursued if the economic feasibility is proven in this study. Especially, it is anticipated that there is a sufficient possibility of resuming negotiations with LH, making this 'phased advancement strategy' a very practical and strategic choice. This approach is expected to highlight the necessity of establishing the IC towards Seoul and positively impact the development of Yangsan City.
Referring to similar cases... Swift action to prevent project delays
The current two-track strategy of Yangsan City seems to be greatly inspired by the case of Daegu Yuchun Hi-Pass IC. The Yuchun IC first opened towards Kumho, then planned to install towards Hyunpung, which is regarded as a representative case that has led to the effectiveness of establishing bi-directional openings in the long term.
Meanwhile, the Sasong New Town has experienced project delays for several years, causing dissatisfaction among residents. In 2022, residents even visited the office of Rep. Kim Du-kwan to request the installation of the bi-directional Hi-Pass IC. In response, Rep. Kim raised this issue directly with Minister Won Hee-ryong during the National Assembly audit, demonstrating interest in this issue from the political sector.
Naturally, new ICs in the metropolitan area... Why is it delayed in rural areas?
Looking at the progress of the Sasong IC installation project reveals how slow and difficult it is to build transportation infrastructure in rural cities. While the establishment of Hi-Pass ICs proceeds smoothly in the metropolitan area, it is unfortunate that delays occur in rural areas due to issues of cost sharing and differences in positions between institutions over several years.
While the expansion of transportation networks in the metropolitan area is taken for granted, rural areas face barriers of 'feasibility' that hinder regional development. This is not merely a transportation issue, but can ultimately expand into a serious structural problem that leads to population outflow and regional decline.
Yangsan City's current two-track strategy is seen as an effort to find practical solutions amidst this reality of rural exclusion. To quickly establish the IC towards Busan and expand towards Seoul, active support from the central government and LH is necessary. If this cooperation is achieved, it will greatly assist in improving transportation infrastructure in rural cities.
Conclusion
Yangsan City's promotion of the Sasong Hi-Pass IC in both directions is emerging as an important infrastructure project for balanced regional development beyond simple transportation improvement. Through this two-track strategy, the likelihood of achieving the long-term goal of installing bi-directional Hi-Pass ICs is increasing without missing the project's golden time.
However, the reality that rural cities are expanding basic transportation infrastructure much slower than the metropolitan area needs improvement. The frequent establishment of ICs in the metropolitan area is a significant obstacle to rural development that must be clearly recognized.
Ultimately, the expansion of transportation infrastructure in rural cities is urgently required for balanced development.
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