Gov’t focuses on improving rail, road links between Seoul and new towns in Gyeonggi

September 03, 2009 (JoongAng Ilbo)

An express train between Seoul and new towns in Gyeonggi Province will cut travel time to 20 minutes, according to a plan to improve the transportation network in the capital region.

The rail link is part of a series of projects aimed at improving transportation to and from the Gyeonggi area by 2015, according to the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, improving traffic conditions in the new towns of Hwaseong and Dongtan in southern Gyeonggi will cost 3.4 trillion won ($2.72 billion). A new urban development program in Dongtan, scheduled for completion in 2013, will supply 111,000 housing units.

The ministry said a road linking Dongtan and Yongin in Gyeonggi will be completed by 2015. The road will also complete a loop of roads surrounding the capital region, the ministry said.

The ministry also announced a plan for the Second Gyeongbu Expressway project, in which the section between Yongin and South Hanam in Gyeonggi will be completed by 2015. The Second Gyeongbu Expressway is aimed at linking Seoul and Sejong City, a new administrative city in South Chungcheong.

A feasibility study for the express train project, also known as GTX, will soon take place, the ministry said. Based on the outcome, the Korea Land Corporation and Gyeonggi investors will cover 800 billion won of the estimated cost of 2 trillion won. The feasibility study will be completed in November, the ministry said.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, GTX stands for “Great Train eXpress.” The project is aimed at linking Seoul and the capital region by a train with a speed of 100 kilometers (62.13 miles) per hour. The provincial government said it plans to build three routes to resolve traffic conditions in the region.

The provincial government proposed the program to the Transportation Ministry in April, noting that travel time between Seoul and the farthest Gyeonggi destinations will be reduced to 40 minutes on the express train, which will be built about 50 meters deeper than Seoul¢®?s subway system. The province wants construction to start in 2012 and be completed within four years.

Anticipation is high, according to a survey conducted by the provincial government in April this year. Out of 2,000 adult residents in Seoul and Incheon polled, 76.6 percent said the GTX project will significantly resolve traffic problems in the capital region.

“If GTX allows all residents of Gyeonggi to commute to Seoul within the same time period as those living inside the capital city, there will be no need to live in the city and pay such expensive housing prices,” said Lee Han-joon, the president of Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation. “The train will help resolve issues of house prices and population density in Seoul.”

According to the Land Ministry, a series of other roads linking the new towns south of Seoul will be completed by 2015, mainly focusing on the new town of Dongtan. The transportation system will be environmentally friendly, the ministry added, noting that trams and bicycles will be used to create the network.

By Ser Myo-ja, Kim Ki-chan [myoja@joongang.co.kr]
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2909589