118.2 billion won ($85.5 million) to be invested in 14.2-kilometer stretch
Haenam-gun announced Thursday that a road improvement project on National Support Local Road No. 55, connecting Bugil-myeon in Haenam-gun with Doam-myeon in Gangjin-gun, has passed a preliminary feasibility study.
The project will improve road alignment and facilities along a 14.2-kilometer stretch between the two areas at a total cost of 118.2 billion won ($85.5 million). It focuses on correcting dangerous curves and other hazardous sections to enhance traffic safety and create a more comfortable driving environment.
The project is expected to be included in the Sixth National Road and Local Road Construction Plan, which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to announce in the second half of this year, paving the way for full-scale implementation.
The benefits are expected to be amplified by a separate improvement project on the national support local road between Bugpyeong-myeon and Bugil-myeon, which is scheduled to be completed this year. The linked upgrades are expected to significantly improve both traffic safety and travel convenience for road users throughout the area.
The project was first proposed in 2013 under the Fourth National Road and Local Road Construction Plan, but only the Haenam Bugpyeong-Bugil section was incorporated into the national plan at the time, with construction currently underway. Passage of the preliminary feasibility study lays the groundwork for extending the project to the remaining Haenam Bugil–Gangjin Doam section — bearing fruit roughly a decade after the original proposal.
Gangjin-gun expects the project to prevent road accidents and improve inter-regional mobility, while also boosting the local economy by enhancing access for tourists and freight.
A Haenam-gun official thanked local lawmakers for their efforts in securing the feasibility approval and said the county would strengthen cooperation with central government ministries and metropolitan authorities to begin detailed design work in 2027 without delay. "We will continue to work hard to expand social overhead capital infrastructure, including railways and roads, to make Haenam a place that is easily accessible from anywhere in the country — moving beyond its image as the end of the land," the official said.
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
