Half of noise walls removed along 5.64 km stretch from Juan Industrial Complex overpass to West Incheon IC

New pedestrian-friendly road above, 4.27 km underground tunnel below on track

The Incheon Daero corridor before (top) and after noise wall removal. [Incheon General Construction Headquarters]
The Incheon Daero corridor before (top) and after noise wall removal. [Incheon General Construction Headquarters]

The noise walls lining Incheon Daero — the former Gyeongin Expressway that has long divided the old city center into east and west — are coming down, opening up sweeping urban views that residents have not seen in decades.

The Incheon Metropolitan City General Construction Headquarters announced Wednesday that demolition of the existing noise walls, a core phase of the Incheon Daero Generalization Phase 2 project, has reached 50 percent completion.

The removal is already delivering a tangible sense of openness to nearby residents who had lived behind obstructed sightlines for more than 30 years, offering a visible preview of the urban improvements the project promises.

The Phase 2 project aims to transform a 5.64-kilometer elevated expressway section — running from the Juan Industrial Complex overpass to the West Incheon interchange — into a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle road centered on residents.

Alongside this, a 4.27-kilometer underground tunnel will be built beneath the road's center to efficiently distribute through-traffic across the city center.

The city plans to complete the phased removal of all remaining retaining walls and noise barriers before converting the existing lanes and launching full-scale excavation work on the underground tunnel.

To minimize traffic congestion and public inconvenience during the major phase transition, the city said it would put in place a reinforced traffic management plan and on-site safety protocols.

"The barrier that divided the city for more than 30 years is disappearing, and the positive changes along Incheon Daero are becoming visibly apparent," said Lee Han-nam, head of the Incheon General Construction Headquarters. "We will push the project forward without delay, with safety as our top priority, so that this corridor can be established as a new central axis for Incheon's future."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com