Authorities are pushing to build a four-directional transport network connecting the Honam semiconductor national industrial complex planned for the Gwangju military airport site.
The plan calls for constructing and expanding roads that provide direct access from the complex to major expressways, and linking them to a wider transport network connecting key areas of South Jeolla Province with the Greater Seoul area.
According to the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, authorities plan to expand access roads in all four directions — north, south, east and west — in time for the complex's completion in 2030.
A cross-shaped arterial road running north-south and east-west through the complex will serve as the backbone, connecting to expressways, national highways and local roads.
Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and other semiconductor investors have called for direct access roads linking the complex to nearby expressways and arterial roads.
To the east, authorities plan to build a new access road connecting the complex to the Gwangju–Gangjin Expressway.
The Gwangju–Gangjin Expressway, set to open in December, runs 51.1 kilometers from Byeokjin-dong in Seo-gu to Seongjeon-myeon in Gangjin-gun.
Direct access to the expressway from the complex is expected to improve connectivity not only to the southwestern region but also to major arterial roads, including Gwangju's second beltway and the Honam Expressway.
To the south, a new access road is being considered that would extend from the complex toward Naju and connect to Local Road 49.
Using Local Road 49, routes would open through the outskirts of Naju and Gwangju to major expressways including the West Coast Expressway, the Honam Expressway and the Muan–Gwangju Expressway.
The focus is on securing a freight corridor that allows trucks leaving the semiconductor complex to reach the west coast and the Greater Seoul area without passing through central Gwangju.
To the west, the emphasis is on expanding existing roads. The plan would connect the complex to the ongoing Woljeong-dong–Mujin-ro road project, currently designed as a four-lane road, and widen it to eight lanes.
That road serves as an arterial route from the area around Gwangju Airport toward Donggok in Naju, and would link up with the national highway and expressway networks.
To the north, the plan calls for using existing eight-lane roads, including Songjeong-daero, to connect the Sangmu district, Gwangju Songjeong KTX station and the complex, ensuring commuting access for semiconductor workers and connectivity to the city center.
The city is pursuing a nine-route expressway network totaling 372.2 kilometers, divided into the Gwangju, western and eastern zones.
Plans for the Gwangju zone include expanding the Honam Expressway and building the Gwangju outer beltway expressway; the western zone would see construction of the Yeongam–Gwangju, Jindo–Yeongam, Gangjin–Gwangju and Gangjin–Wando expressways; and the eastern zone would add the Goheung–Gwangju and Yeosu–Suncheon expressways.
Once in place, the wider road network is expected to link the semiconductor complex with major industrial hubs in the southwestern and eastern regions, as well as logistics facilities such as ports and airports.
Authorities are also reviewing the introduction of a Gwangju–Naju–Hwasun metropolitan railway and a BRT system to address the complex's transportation demand.
The key is building the transport network on schedule to coincide with the complex's development.
If access road construction is pursued as a separate project, route decisions, design work, permitting and compensation proceedings could take considerable time and delay the target timeline.
The city plans to incorporate the transport network construction into the complex development plan and advance both simultaneously.
"If the roads are reflected as infrastructure for the complex, it will be easier to streamline administrative procedures and secure government fiscal support compared with pursuing them as standalone road projects," an official from the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city said. "We plan to include road construction in the complex development plan to shorten the project timeline and secure national funding."
sij@heraldcorp.com
