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Centum-Mandeok Deep Tunnel Expected to Open in January 2026
The private investment plan for the Inner Loop Expressway has been changed and announced. It includes information related to the locations of Mandeok, Dongnae, and Centum ICs. This is expected to contribute to improving the city's traffic system.
The city expressway connecting the Mandeok and Centum areas in Busan is being developed as a total length of 9.62km, with four lanes in each direction, as an underground road. This road is expected to be opened in January 2026 and is currently entering the final stage.
Once opened, the travel time for the section is expected to be drastically reduced from approximately 41.8 minutes to 11 minutes. The scheduled completion date is November 28, 2025, and it is expected to be fully completed by December. After that, it will undergo test runs and final internal preparations before officially opening.
The recently announced changes to the implementation plan retain the route and project overview while reflecting specific maintenance details. This project is being privately invested in through the BTO method, with an operational period set for 40 years after opening. The entity responsible for the project is Busan East-West Expressway Co., Ltd.
The entry and exit points of the Mandeok-Centum Expressway consist of three ICs (Mandeok IC, Dongnae IC, Centum IC). Notably, Dongnae IC is connected to the central road in front of the Bujeon Church and was recently renamed from Bujeon IC to Dongnae IC through a recent announcement of road facility name designation.
Construction section 1 involves participation from Lotte Engineering & Construction and two other companies, while section 2 involves GS Engineering & Construction and five additional companies. During construction, Goryeo Dynasty relics were discovered near the entrance of the Mandeok 2 Tunnel, leading to a 14-month suspension of construction due to cultural relic excavation investigations.
The Mandeok-Centum Expressway runs from Mandeok IC (Buk-gu Mandeok-dong) to Dongnae IC (Central Road at the boundary of Yeonje and Dongnae) and Centum IC (Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong). The opening of this road is expected to enhance accessibility between urban areas, promote balanced development of the East-West corridor, and ease ground traffic congestion.
While there could be positive effects in solving congestion issues at the Mandeok Tunnel, there are concerns that the entry and exit roads located near Gyo-dae Station and Centum City may increase congestion. Considering this situation, additional measures to improve traffic flow may be necessary.
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Busan Metropolitan City Announcement No. 2025-357
Implementation Plan Change Announcement for the Private Investment Project of the Inner Loop (Mandeok-Centum) City Expressway
The implementation plan was approved and announced by Busan Metropolitan City No. 2019-248 (2019.09.04.). Subsequently, announcements were made under Busan Metropolitan City No. 2020-80 (2020.03.11.), No. 2020-260 (2020.07.15.), No. 2020-415 (2020.10.28.), No. 2021-153 (2021.05.05.), No. 2021-254 (2021.06.30.), No. 2022-529 (2023.01.04.), No. 2024-69 (2024.03.20.), No. 2024-223 (2024.07.24.), No. 2024-392 (2024.11.13.), No. 2024-420 (2024.11.27.), and No. 2025-306 (2025.07.30.) regarding the private investment project for the Inner Loop (Mandeok-Centum) city expressway, announcing the changes to the implementation plan as follows under the provisions of Article 15 of the Private Investment Act for Social Infrastructure.
September 17, 2025
Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
1. Name of the Project (No Change): Private Investment Project for the Inner Loop (Mandeok-Centum) City Expressway
2. Project Overview (No Change)
a. Location: Buk-gu Mandeok-dong, Busan Metropolitan City ~ Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong
b. Scale: Total length of 9.62km, four lanes in each direction, expressway
c. Total Project Cost: 560.9 billion won (based on fixed price as of 2010.10.01)
d. Total Investment Cost: 783.2 billion won
e. Construction Period: 2019.11.29.~2025.11.28.
f. Operational Period: 40 years from the start of operations
3. Project Implementer and Stakeholders (No Change)
a. Project Implementer
* CEO of Busan East-West Expressway Co., Ltd., Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City
b. Stakeholders and Equity Ratio (No Change)
4. Method of Construction Implementation (No Change)
5. Land Acquisition and Utilization Plan (No Change)
6. Road Area Determination Record (Change)
a. Contents of Road Area Determination (Change) (Change)
* Road Area Determination (Change) Record
| Category | Type | Route Number | Route Name | Location | Area (㎡) | Start Point | End Point | Major Pass Locations | Total Length (km) |
| Existing | Metropolitan Route | 66 | Mandeok-Centum City Expressway | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong 240-1 ~ Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong 706-7 | 352,306.6 | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong 240-1 | Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong 706-7 | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong, Dongnae-gu Oncheon-dong, Yeonje-gu Geoje-dong, Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong | 9.62 |
| Change | Metropolitan Route | 66 | Mandeok-Centum City Expressway | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong 240-1 ~ Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong 706-7 | 352,199.9 (decrease) 106.7 | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong 240-1 | Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong 706-7 | Buk-gu Mandeok-dong, Dongnae-gu Oncheon-dong, Yeonje-gu Geoje-dong, Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong | 9.62 |
* Reasons for Road Area Determination (Change)
| Type of Road | Change Details | Reason for Change |
| Metropolitan Route 66 (Road Area) | Area change: 352,306.6㎡→352,199.9㎡ (decrease of 106.7㎡) | Adjustment of area based on results of land division and current measurement |
b. Three-dimensional road area designation (Change) details (No Change)
c. Road preservation intention area designation details (No Change)
7. Urban planning decision record (Facilities: Road, Greenery) (No Change)
8. Land (Obstruction) Tax Record details (Change): Payment (limited to changes)
9. Other information
○ All documents related to this project are kept by the Busan Metropolitan City Road Planning Division and the Construction Headquarters Road Construction Team 1, and are available for public viewing by the general public and interested parties.
* Busan Metropolitan City Road Planning Division (☎ 051-888-2725)
* Busan Metropolitan City Construction Headquarters Road Construction Team 1 (☎ 051-888-6156)
* Busan East-West Expressway Co., Ltd. (☎ 051-717-0273)
○ All other announcements remain the same as originally announced.
Category
Announcement
Agency Type
City
Agency
Busan Metropolitan City
Announcement Number
No. 2025-357
Title
Implementation Plan Change Announcement for the Private Investment Project of the Inner Loop (Mandeok-Centum) City Expressway
Date
September 17, 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. When will the Centum-Mandeok Deep Tunnel Expressway open?
The Centum-Mandeok Deep Tunnel Expressway is scheduled to open in January 2026.
The city expressway connecting the Mandeok and Centum areas in Busan is being developed as a total length of 9.62km, with four lanes in each direction, as an underground road. The goal is to complete construction by November 28, 2025. Afterward, it is planned to undergo final inspections and test operations before the official opening in January 2026.
Q. Where are the major entry and exit ICs for the Mandeok-Centum Expressway located?
The entry and exit ICs are composed of three: Mandeok IC, Dongnae IC, and Centum IC.
Mandeok IC is located in Buk-gu Mandeok-dong, Dongnae IC is situated near Bujeon Church on the boundary between Yeonje and Dongnae, and Centum IC is located in Haeundae-gu Jaisong-dong. The Dongnae IC was recently renamed from the previous Bujeon IC. These ICs are responsible for access to the expressway.
Q. What traffic improvement effects are expected from the opening of the Mandeok-Centum Expressway?
Travel time is expected to drastically decrease from 41.8 minutes to 11 minutes, alleviating traffic congestion.
The opening of the underground expressway for the Mandeok-Centum section is expected to facilitate traffic flow and significantly reduce travel times, from approximately 41.8 minutes to 11 minutes. Furthermore, it is anticipated to contribute to the balanced development of the East-West corridor and reduce urban traffic congestion. However, areas around the Gyo-dae Station and Centum City may see increased congestion due to higher entry and exit volumes, thus additional traffic measures may be needed.
Q. How is this project promoted, and what is the operational period?
It is a private investment project based on the BTO method and will be operated for 40 years after opening.
The Inner Loop (Mandeok-Centum) city expressway project is promoted as a private investment project using the BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate) method. The project implementer, Busan East-West Expressway Co., Ltd, will construct the road using private capital and manage its operation for 40 years, expecting efficiency from private sector management.
Q. What artifacts were discovered during construction, and what impact did they have?
A Goryeo Dynasty relic was discovered near the entrance of the Mandeok 2 Tunnel, resulting in a 14-month construction suspension.
During the construction of section 1 of the Mandeok-Centum Expressway, a Goryeo Dynasty relic was unearthed, leading to a cultural relic excavation investigation that caused a 14-month suspension of work. This resulted in some delays in the construction schedule, but after the excavation investigation, construction has resumed and is expected to finish on schedule.