New waterway linking Han River to Incheon to be opened Fri.

Gyeongin Arabaetgil, a waterway connecting the Han River in Seoul to the country`s western port city of Incheon, will officially be opened Friday after six months of test runs and about 3.5 since the project`s launch.

The opening comes after some 800 years of failed attempts caused by technical limits. In its latest stage, the channel is considered a success in serving its original purpose of flood prevention and promotion of tourism and leisure activities. Many experts say, however, that whether the channel can significantly help improve logistics remains uncertain.

A Dong-A Ilbo reporter looked around the channel on a yacht Tuesday, finding it neatly built. An area that had been used as a landfill, sluiceway and farming land was transformed into the main channel. The stench from the landfill was also gone.

The waterway was flanked by bicycle roads on both sides on which many people biked amid a spring breeze. Untidy areas above the embankment were also cleaned up, with completed waterfront facilities including an ecological park, a traditional pavilion and a lighthouse. Still, the steady speed of the yacht and monotonous views along the 18-kilometer channel made the trip rather boring.

Generally speaking, customer satisfaction in tourism and leisure is high. Around 150,000 people, or a daily average of 600, got aboard passenger liners. Since the weather warmed up last month, a daily average of 1,000 people have gone sightseeing along the channel.

Five passenger liners operated on four routes along the waterway. The number will increase to seven ships on seven routes after the official opening Friday.

The vessels will cover wider areas all the way to islands off the west coast, including Ganghwa and Palmi. A variety of events, including sunset festivals and music concerts, will take advantage of the channel and raise leisure activities for residents.

The channel has also proven to be effective in preventing floods. Originally, the project was initiated for building a sluiceway for draining water flooding from the Gulpo Stream to the Yellow Sea. It was upgraded in 1995 from being used as a sluiceway to be operated for about 15 days a year in rainy season to a waterway for boats in normal times.

About 352 millimeters of heavy rainfall were recorded four days from July 26 last year, but the areas around the channel were not affected as most of the water was drained through the channel to the Yellow Sea.

The government and K-water, a state-run water resource developer, are trying to enhance the channel’s logistical roles, holding presentations for logistics companies in the Seoul-Gyeonggi Province area and China.

After the official opening, cargo ships using the channel will not only cover offshore logistics but also gradually expand their business areas to China, Japan, Russia and Southeast Asia.

redfoot@donga.com