First road tunnel to pass beneath the Han River

Korea Expressway Corporation President Yu Jeong-hun delivers remarks at the tunnel-boring ceremony for the Han River tunnel on the Greater Seoul Second Beltway (Gimpo–Paju) on Friday. [Korea Expressway Corporation]
Korea Expressway Corporation President Yu Jeong-hun delivers remarks at the tunnel-boring ceremony for the Han River tunnel on the Greater Seoul Second Beltway (Gimpo–Paju) on Friday. [Korea Expressway Corporation]

Korea Expressway Corporation held a tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch ceremony Friday for the Han River tunnel on the Greater Seoul Second Beltway (Gimpo–Paju section), marking the start of excavation on the Gimpo-bound bore.

About 100 guests attended the event, including Korea Expressway Corporation President Yu Jeong-hun, National Assembly members Yun Hu-deok, Park Jeong, Kim Ju-yeong and Park Sang-hyeok, Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan, Gimpo Mayor Lee Gi-hyeong, and construction officials. A safety ceremony was also held.

Construction on the Gimpo–Paju section of the Greater Seoul Second Beltway began in February 2019 and is ongoing. The Han River tunnel will be the first road tunnel to cross beneath the Han River. The Paju-bound bore completed its passage under the river in April.

The tunnel uses TBM construction, with a full-face diameter of 14 meters — the largest of its kind in South Korea. The method works by rotating a cutter head fitted with multiple disc cutters to fracture rock through pressure, generating far less noise and vibration than conventional drill-and-blast (NATM) methods.

"The Han River tunnel will be the first road tunnel to run beneath the Han River, making it a landmark for South Korea's construction technology," Yu said. "We will put safety first throughout every stage of construction to deliver a tunnel the public can use with confidence."


hss@heraldcorp.com