Numbers of nation¡¯s expressways to be reshuffled

Starting next February, expressways extending north and south will be assigned new numbers that end in five and those running east to west will have numbers ending with zero. However, the Kyongbu (Seoul-Pusan) Expressway will be allowed to keep its current number, one, in consideration of its symbolic meaning as the nation¡¯s first high-speed road. These were the highlights of a revised bill on the existing law governing expressways that the Ministry of Construction and Transportation announced Friday. According to the bill, auxiliary routes connecting these traversing expressways will be divided into south-north roads with odd numbers and east-west roads with even numbers from next February at the earliest. The government plans to mark relatively short routes such as circular roads in large urban areas with three-digit numbers. Roads with several numbers according to sections will be given new unified numbers.

According to the decision, the Shingal-Ansan Road (No. 12) and the Youngdong Expressway (No. 4), as well as the Inchon-Ansan Road, will be unified into Youngdong Expressway No. 50, and the number of the West Coast Expressway will be changed from 11 to 15. The Taegu-Masan Expressway (No. 7) and the Yoju-Hyonpung Expressway (No. 18) will be integrated into Central Inland Expressway No. 45. The ministry said that it decided to implement these reforms to minimize confusion for travelers ahead of the planned expansion of the nation¡¯s expressways from the present length of 2,040km to 6,000km by 2020.