Gyeongbu Expressway

Updated on Dec 09, 2023

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Existed: 1968 – present Length 416 km		Constructed 1968

South end: Geumjeong-gu, Busan National Route 7 North end: Seocho-gu, Seoul National Route 47 Yangjae-Hannam Motorway (from Yangjae IC to Hannam IC) Major cities Seoul, Daejeon, Yongin, Daegu, Cheonan, Ulsan

korea expressway no 1 gyeongbu expressway

The Gyeongbu Expressway (Korean: 경부고속도로; Gyeongbu Gosokdoro) (Asian Highway Network ) is the second oldest and most heavily travelled expressway in South Korea, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, and Busan. It has the route number 1, signifying its role as South Korea's most important expressway. The entire length from Seoul to Busan is 416 km and the posted speed limit is 100 km/h, enforced primarily by speed cameras.

Gyeongbu expressway

History

February 1968 - Construction begins at the behest of South Korean President Park Chung-hee.

21 December 1968 - Seoul-Suwon segment opens to traffic.

30 December 1968 - Suwon-Osan segment opens to traffic.

29 September 1969 - Osan-Cheonan segment opens to traffic.

10 December 1969 - Cheonan-Daejeon segment opens to traffic.

19 December 1969 - Busan-Daegu (via Gyeongju) segment opens to traffic.

7 July 1970 - The last segment, the mountainous Daejeon-Daegu segment, opens to traffic, completing South Korea's first long-distance limited access expressway.

December 1987 - Work begins to widen to six lanes in selected areas. Some areas are widened to 8 or 10 lanes by 1996.

February 1995 - Bus-only lane (essentially an HOV-9) established between the northern terminus and Sintanjin for important holidays.

14 July 2000 - Eight vehicles, including three buses and a five-ton truck, collide near Gimcheon, killing 18 and injuring over 100.

25 August 2001 - All expressways in South Korea reorganize under a pattern modeled after the United States' Interstate Highway System. The Gyeongbu Expressway's route number of 1 is the only one not to change; however, its kilometer markers change from a north-south progression to south-north.

December 2002 - Korea National Expressway Corporation passes control of the northernmost 9 km stretch of expressway (between Yangjae and Hannam Bridge) to the City of Seoul.

1 July 2008 - Bus lane enforcement between Seoul and Osan (Sintanjin on weekends) becomes daily between 6 AM and 10 PM. On 1 October this is adjusted to 7 AM to 9 PM weekdays, 9 AM to 9 PM weekends.