City unveils 20-point traffic plan across 5 areas

Measures include signal optimization, traffic diversion and phased construction

Kim Chang-hyun, head of Ulsan's transportation bureau, briefs reporters at the city hall press center Thursday on traffic management measures tied to the construction of Ulsan Urban Railway Line 1. [Ulsan city government]
Kim Chang-hyun, head of Ulsan's transportation bureau, briefs reporters at the city hall press center Thursday on traffic management measures tied to the construction of Ulsan Urban Railway Line 1. [Ulsan city government]

Ulsan city said Thursday it will press ahead with the construction of its urban railway (tram) Line 1 while directing all administrative resources toward minimizing inconvenience to residents during the construction period.

The city announced a comprehensive traffic plan consisting of 20 tasks across five areas — communication and safety improvement, demand diversion and suppression, public transit priority, real-time information provision, and swift complaint response — alongside a review conclusion that the tram Line 1 project will proceed in accordance with law and contract.

Key measures focus on the stretch between Gongeoptap and Okdong, where the heaviest traffic congestion is expected. They include a straight-through traffic system designed to encourage detours, real-time adaptive signal control, a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour, navigation-based route diversion guidance to spread traffic, and phased construction to minimize lane occupancy.

Alongside this, the city plans to increase city bus frequency during peak commuting hours and strengthen its U-Pass program, which reimburses a portion of public transit fares for Ulsan residents aged 19 and older, to encourage greater bus ridership.

A proposed traffic management plan for Munsu-ro, part of the Ulsan Urban Railway Line 1 construction corridor spanning 10.85 kilometers between Taehwagang Station and Sinbok intersection, where 15 stops are to be built. [Ulsan city government]
A proposed traffic management plan for Munsu-ro, part of the Ulsan Urban Railway Line 1 construction corridor spanning 10.85 kilometers between Taehwagang Station and Sinbok intersection, where 15 stops are to be built. [Ulsan city government]

Particular attention is being paid to the Munsu-ro corridor, where construction is expected to have the greatest impact. Planned measures there include converting the Gongeoptap rotary into a flat five-way intersection, widening the southern Daegongwon-ro between Okdong Central Church and the main entrance of the grand park from 8 meters to 12–15 meters, converting the northern Beopdae-ro 81beon-gil to two-way traffic to secure an alternate road network, setting aside three vehicle waiting zones for hagwon vehicles in the Okdong hagwon district, applying half-width separated construction and temporary main-line facilities at station sections to preserve usable lanes, and fast-tracking the opening of a four-lane, 2.61-kilometer bypass road along Munsu-ro.

Kim Chang-hyun, head of Ulsan's transportation bureau, said the city found no legal authority or means to halt the urban railway Line 1 project at this stage, despite having reviewed it since the start of the ninth elected administration over concerns including fiscal burden. "We will continue listening to residents and carry out construction without disruption while keeping inconvenience to a minimum," he said.


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