As returning traffic surges on the last day of the Hangul Day holiday, congestion is expected on highways leading to Seoul.
According to highway traffic forecasts on the 11th, the nationwide traffic volume is projected to reach 4.81 million vehicles. An estimated 360,000 vehicles are expected to travel from the metropolitan area to the provinces, while 400,000 vehicles will head from the provinces to the metropolitan area.
This forecast is lower than the 5.62 million vehicles recorded on the first day of the holiday on the 9th and the 5.47 million on the second day, the 10th. However, congestion on the Seoul-bound highways is likely to persist due to a concentration of returning vehicles during specific times.
As of 9 AM, the estimated travel times from major cities to the Seoul tollgate are as follows: 4 hours and 50 minutes from Busan, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan, 3 hours and 50 minutes from Daegu, 4 hours from Mokpo, 3 hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, 2 hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung, and 1 hour and 40 minutes from Daejeon.
Conversely, travel times from Seoul to these cities are approximately 5 hours to Busan, 4 hours and 40 minutes to Ulsan, 4 hours to Daegu, 3 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, 3 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, and 1 hour and 40 minutes to Daejeon.
From 10 AM onward, travel times from these cities to Seoul are expected to increase by 10 to 50 minutes compared to the 9 AM estimates.
Congestion on the Seoul-bound routes is anticipated to begin between 11 AM and noon, peaking around 4 to 5 PM. After that, conditions are expected to gradually improve, with relief anticipated around 10 to 11 PM.
Particularly, heavy traffic is expected on the Yeongdong Expressway and the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway heading toward Seoul. In contrast, traffic heading toward the provinces is expected to flow smoothly.
Drivers returning on the last day of the holiday should consider the peak congestion times in the afternoon when planning their departure. However, actual traffic conditions may vary due to accidents, weather conditions, and vehicle density.
The Korea Expressway Corporation's traffic information service, Road Plus, provides updates on traffic conditions, congestion areas, and estimated travel times between major cities.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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