Smart highways planned for South Korea

A new transport plan is envisaged for South Korea that involves the construction of a smart highway network. The aim of the programme is to optimise transport efficiency and capacity, with charging facilities for electric vehicles also included in the plans. South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport intends to add a further 1,000km of highways to the country’s overall network. Once the new highways are open to traffic South Korea will have a total highway network in excess of 5,100km.
September 2, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

A new transport plan is envisaged for South Korea that involves the construction of a smart highway network. The aim of the programme is to optimise transport efficiency and capacity, with charging facilities for electric vehicles also included in the plans. South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport intends to add a further 1,000km of highways to the country’s overall network. Once the new highways are open to traffic South Korea will have a total highway network in excess of 5,100km. The aim of this programme is to boost access to highways for the country’s citizens so that 96% of the population will be within a 30 minute drive (or less) of a highway. The new links should be complete by 2020 and the plan will also help tackle congestion on sections of highway currently prone to traffic delays.

The new smart highways will feature modern drive through tolling technology as well as having the capabilities required to handle driverless vehicles. The new highways will also have sufficient charging facilities to allow electric vehicles to make long distance journeys across the country. The South Korean Government is setting a budget of US$33 billion for the plans, with private financing of almost a similar scale envisaged to complete the funding necessary for such a large scale programme.

Road Structures

Related Content

  • New Bolivian highway programme planned
    June 17, 2015
    Bolivia's state-owned road operator Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras (ABC) has an ambitious road building programme. This will see the construction of a further 3,172km of roads, of which almost 1,000km will be completed in 2015. The 1,000km of roads on track for completion comprise some 16 projects in seven departments. ABC has budgeted US$1.17 billion for its programme of works, an increase over the $995.4 million for the previous financial year.
    Read More
  • Julián Núñez, head of ASECAP offers a little Spanish enlightenment
    May 1, 2018
    Julián Núñez, president of ASECAP, gets his teeth into the vision of a European strategy for toll roads. David Arminas reports from Madrid Getting European politicians to agree to a long-term cross-border highway infrastructure programme for toll roads is extremely difficult. It’s a bit like pulling teeth. People want to avoid the pain. This is perhaps a bad analogy to use in the case of Julián Núñez, president of ASECAP - European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures. Núñez had just sat
    Read More
  • India’s longest road tunnel continues apace with Atlas Copco support
    May 20, 2014
    The challenging construction of India’s largest road tunnel is part of a vital US$500 million project aiming to connect the isolated northern state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the vast and highly populated country. Guy Woodford reports Travelling on National Highway 1A (NH 1A) in northern India should be the dictionary definition of ordeal. The single lane, narrow and winding road crosses some of the steepest, most treacherous terrain on the planet. The arduous route becomes especially difficult t
    Read More
  • TRA conference well on track
    March 22, 2012
    The coming TRA 2012 transport event in Athens is now gathering momentum. The event will benefit from the strength of its organising body.
    Read More

Highlighted Content