1.2 trillion won project to expand east-west corridor
Travel time from Duseo to Gangdong to drop from 60 minutes to 20
Construction on the Ulsan outer ring expressway, a project designed to sharply cut east-west travel times across the city, broke ground Friday. Once completed, the road will work in tandem with the Nongso-Gangdong road currently under construction to significantly ease east-west traffic flow in Ulsan.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held at 2 p.m. Friday at Hamwol Community Sports Center in Jung-gu, Ulsan. Attendees included Ulsan Deputy Mayor for Administration Seo Nam-gyo, Ulsan City Council Speaker Lee Yeong-hae, lawmakers Seo Beom-su (Ulju-gun) and Yun Jong-o (Buk-gu), Jung-gu District Mayor Kim Yeong-gil, Buk-gu District Mayor Lee Dong-gwon, Ulju-gun Governor Lee Sun-geol, and local council members and residents.
The expressway will cost 1.21 trillion won ($905 million) and stretch 15.1 kilometers across four lanes, connecting the new North Ulju Junction on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Duseo-myeon, Ulju-gun, with Gadae Interchange in Buk-gu. Roughly 75 percent of the route runs through Ulju-gun and 25 percent through Buk-gu. Construction is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2032.
The expressway will connect with the Nongso-Gangdong road, which Ulsan city began building in October 2024 and expects to complete in the second half of 2031. Once both roads open, travel time from Duseo-myeon in Ulju-gun to Gangdong in Buk-gu will fall from about one hour to roughly 20 minutes.
New interchanges and junctions along the route include Miho Junction connecting to the Gyeongbu Expressway, Dudong Hi-pass Interchange to spur development in the Dudong-myeon area, and Gadae Interchange. The additions are expected to improve freight movement along industrial roads and boost access to the transit-oriented development zone around North Ulsan Station.
The project also includes 12 bridges totaling 1.84 kilometers and five tunnels totaling 5.49 kilometers. To accelerate the schedule, construction has been divided into three sections, with a higher share of work allocated to local contractors.
"When the Ulsan outer ring expressway is completed in 2032, the expanded east-west corridor will smooth the flow of freight for companies in the national industrial complex and greatly improve access to the Gangdong tourism complex," Deputy Mayor for Administration Seo said.
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