Busan City Council approves agreement on handling of east-west elevated road

Travel time from Gimhae airport to Haeundae to be cut from 83 to 36 minutes

Elevated road sections at start and end points to be demolished during construction

A map showing the route of the Sasang–Haeundae Expressway [Provided by Busan city government]
A map showing the route of the Sasang–Haeundae Expressway [Provided by Busan city government]

The Busan City Council on Friday approved an agreement on how to handle the city's east-west elevated road as part of the push to build the Sasang–Haeundae Expressway, a deep underground highway project, clearing the way for the project to move forward.

The city and its preferred negotiating partner had consulted on procedural steps, the scope of demolition work and associated costs related to the elevated road, and incorporated those terms into the agreement. The approved agreement will be submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with follow-up procedures including a concession agreement to proceed in sequence.

The Sasang–Haeundae Expressway is a large-scale infrastructure project that would link the Namhae Expressway with the Donghae Expressway, forming an economic corridor connecting the Changwon area, Busan and the Pohang-Ulsan region, while creating a one-hour commuter zone across the southeastern metropolitan economic area.

Once open, the expressway would dramatically cut travel time from Gimhae International Airport in western Busan to Haeundae from 83 minutes to 36 minutes, and is expected to serve as a national arterial route connecting Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province. The project is also expected to ease traffic on urban arterial roads, shorten travel times, improve logistics access and enhance road connections to the planned Gadeokdo New Airport — effects that go beyond expanding the road network to restructuring Busan's urban space and transport system.

The project is part of a national balanced-development initiative and is expected to contribute significantly to economic revitalization across Busan. By linking the industry-focused western districts with the tourism-centered eastern districts via a high-speed arterial network, it would lay the groundwork for integrating the two areas into a single lifestyle and economic zone — boosting the competitiveness of western Busan's industrial complexes while strengthening ties with the tourism and MICE industries in the east.

On a broader scale, the project carries symbolic weight as it would close a gap in the national circular expressway network — connecting the Busan Outer Ring Expressway, the Namhae Expressway Second Branch, the Sasang–Haeundae Expressway and the Donghae Expressway — improving the efficiency of the national logistics system and contributing to the vitalization of the southern regional economy.

Some sections of the east-west elevated road at the start and end points of the expressway are slated for demolition during construction, while the Hakjang–Jinyang section may be either demolished or preserved as a park, depending on future city policy decisions. The city said it will gather sufficient public input on how to handle the elevated road and work toward a plan that puts local development and residents' quality of life first.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said he would work to ensure the smooth progress of the Sasang–Haeundae Expressway, describing it as essential infrastructure that will shape Busan for the next 30 years.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com