Table of Contents
- North Port Underground Tunnel, anticipated completion in October 2025 due to repeated delays
- What are the background and reasons for the successive delays?
- As the completion is delayed, public inconvenience continues
- Plans for additional responses reflecting the characteristics of the North Port redevelopment area
- Conclusion
- Busan Metropolitan City Notification No. 2025-249
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
North Port Underground Tunnel, anticipated completion in October 2025 due to repeated delays
The completion schedule for the construction of the underground tunnel on Chongjang-daero, a key transportation infrastructure of the Busan North Port redevelopment project, has been delayed once again.
The original plan was set for September 25, 2023, but it has now been postponed to the end of June 2025, and this time it has been extended by an additional four months to October 25, 2025. In relation to this, the city of Busan recently announced the decision (revision) regarding the road area.
The main content of the announcement states that design changes due to the change of the retaining wall waterproofing method and the removal of obstacles were the reasons for the extension of the project duration. The implementation of the project will continue to be handled by the Busan Port construction office of the Busan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Department without any changes.
This delay is expected to impact local residents and users.
What are the background and reasons for the successive delays?
The North Port underground tunnel is a 1.94km road tunnel being constructed beneath the ground, connecting Jung-gu, Joongang-dong and Dong-gu, Choryang-dong, and it consists of four lanes in each direction. The total length is 1.86km and construction started in October 2019, with a government budget of 250 billion won, initially aimed to complete by September 2023.
However, the construction has been delayed due to various unforeseen variables. The changes in the connection method of the Seunghak Tunnel, the discovery and remediation of contaminated soil, the inflow of seawater during the construction period, and the design errors of the Yeongju Overpass have all led to multiple adjustments to the construction schedule.
Particularly, the North Port area has unstable ground conditions due to landfill during the Japanese colonial period. This has resulted in the recurring issue of seawater inflow during construction, leading to the waterproofing method being changed three times. Initially, cement grouting was used, then it was changed to steel sheet pile, and finally, low-pressure grouting was adopted. Despite these measures, it is expected to take considerable time for stabilization.
As the completion is delayed, public inconvenience continues
This underground tunnel connecting Busan Station, North Port, and Isunshin Avenue is expected to significantly contribute to solving traffic congestion issues in Busan's old downtown. However, due to the construction delays, citizens using Chongjang-daero are likely to experience inconvenience for the time being.
According to the Busan Port construction office, although the construction period has been extended due to unforeseen variables, they stated that adequate workspace has been secured due to the opening of Isunshin Avenue. Accordingly, they plan to put efforts into accelerating construction during the remaining period.
Plans for additional responses reflecting the characteristics of the North Port redevelopment area
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is exploring various measures to enhance the safety of the North Port area. This includes reviewing construction methods for special ground issues such as underground seawater inflow, ground characteristic analysis, and waterway management plans.
Since various large-scale projects such as landmark site development and private sales are planned around the North Port, the experiences from this construction are expected to serve as a critical reference for future project execution.
Conclusion
The construction duration of the Chongjang-daero underground tunnel, which serves as a main road for the Busan North Port redevelopment project, continues to extend for various reasons. Design changes, construction variables, and ground issues are all contributing factors.
Despite this, the road plays a significant role in the urban arterial road network, and the final stages of construction are progressing with the goal of completion in October 2025.
It raises the question of whether a tunnel construction of less than 2km should take six years. The city of Busan has numerous large-scale civil engineering projects planned, including the Amgeung Bridge, Seunghak Tunnel, and the new Gadeokdo Airport. Therefore, more refined responses and project management are essential to minimize citizen inconvenience and ensure a safe opening.
Busan Metropolitan City Notification No. 2025-249
Notification on the decision (revision) regarding the road area
The Busan Metropolitan City Notification No. 2020-98 (March 25, 2020) has published the decision on the road area and the topographical map, with subsequent revisions notified by Public Notices No. 2020-519 (December 23, 2020), No. 2023-142 (April 26, 2023), and No. 2024-183 (June 13, 2024) for the section of the provincial road No. 71 (Chongjang-daero) regarding the “Construction of the North Port Redevelopment Project Back Road (underground tunnel)”. It is hereby notified under Article 25 of the Road Act that the decision (revision) regarding the road area is finalized, and according to Article 29 of the same law, it seeks to incorporate approvals from other regulations (such as implementation plan approval).
Related documents are kept at the Busan Metropolitan City's Road Planning Division and are available for public viewing.
June 25, 2025
Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
1. Details on the decision (revision) regarding the road area (no changes)
| ①Type | ②Category | ③Route No. | ④Route Name | ⑤Location | ⑥Area (㎡) | ⑦Starting Point | ⑧Ending Point | ⑨Major Passage | ⑩Total Length (㎞) | ⑪Remarks |
| Established | Provincial road | 71 | Jungang-Goeje | From Joongang-dong, Jung-gu to Choryang-dong, Dong-gu | 120,998.5 | 90-6, Joongang-dong, Jung-gu | 45-38, Choryang-dong, Dong-gu | Busan Port | 1.94 | Underground tunnel (1.86km) |
2. Reasons for the decision (revision) of the road area
Extension of the project duration due to design changes such as changes in the retaining wall waterproofing method and obstacle removal
3. Project implementation period for the related road construction (
changes exist
)
Initial: March 25, 2020 - June 27, 2025
Revised: March 25, 2020 -
October 25, 2025
4. Project implementer for the related road construction (no changes)
Busan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Department (Busan Port construction office)
5. Decision (revision) of the road area land tax record (no changes)
6. The period and place of the document review: omitted from publication (same as the materials at the viewing location)
- The topographical map according to Article 8 of the Basic Land Use Regulation Act and Article 7 of its enforcement decree is available for viewing at Land Utilization (
http://eum.go.kr)
and the publication of the map is omitted.
Type
Notification
Agency Type
City
Agency
Busan Metropolitan City
Notification/Announcement Number
No. 2025-249
Title
Notification on the Road Area Decision (Revision)
Date
June 25, 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. How has the completion schedule for the North Port underground tunnel changed?
The expected completion date has been postponed from September 2023 to October 25, 2025, a delay of over two years.
The construction of the Chongjang-daero underground tunnel as part of the Busan North Port redevelopment project was initially aimed for completion by September 25, 2023, but due to unexpected design changes and construction variables, it has been postponed multiple times to October 25, 2025. This schedule was officially announced through Busan Metropolitan City Notification No. 2025-249, with primary reasons being changes in the retaining wall waterproofing method and the removal of obstacles.
Q. What are the main reasons for the delay in the underground tunnel construction?
Due to unforeseen variables such as design changes, ground issues, and seawater inflow.
The delay in construction stems from a combination of factors including changes in the connection method of the Seunghak Tunnel, remediation of contaminated soil, seawater inflow, design errors, and the discovery of obstacles. In particular, the unstable ground from landfilling during the Japanese colonial period has led to repeated seawater inflow, necessitating the waterproofing method to be changed three times, which was a major cause of the overall project delay.
Q. What is the role of the North Port underground tunnel and its impact on citizens?
It is crucial for alleviating traffic congestion in Busan's old downtown, but construction delays continue to cause inconveniences.
This underground tunnel serves as a major road connecting Joongang-dong, Jung-gu and Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, linking Busan Station, North Port, and Isunshin Avenue, playing a key role in resolving traffic congestion. However, construction delays are causing inconvenience to citizens, and the Busan Port construction office is working to improve working conditions and accelerate construction efforts due to the opening of Isunshin Avenue.
Q. How is Busan City responding to the problems with the North Port underground tunnel construction?
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is preparing additional responses such as ground characteristic analysis and review of construction methods.
Busan City is planning various services to address special ground issues, such as underground seawater inflow, by reviewing construction methods, conducting in-depth analysis of ground characteristics, and planning waterway management. This is aimed at enhancing safety and efficiency in conjunction with large-scale development projects in the North Port area, and it is expected that experiences from this construction will serve as a crucial reference for future project implementations.
Q. What are the contents of the road area decision notification and who is the project implementer?
The road area has been revised due to changes in wastewater retention methods, and the implementer is the Busan Port construction office.
On June 25, 2025, Busan Metropolitan City officially revised the decision on the road area for the Chongjang-daero underground tunnel section through Busan Metropolitan City Notification No. 2025-249. The main reasons for the changes were the modifications to the waterproofing methods and design changes due to the removal of obstacles, leading to an extension of the project duration. The project implementer remains unchanged as the Busan Port construction office of the Busan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Department.
