Aging Bridges and Tunnels to Be Repaired Section by Section; Korea Expressway Corporation Pursues Remodeling

[Financial News] Korea Expressway Corporation is moving beyond repairing aging bridges and tunnels individually and pursuing remodeling projects to improve entire highway sections. Its plan is to enhance safety and minimize traffic closures by applying proactive repairs and preventive maintenance methods to every structure between interchanges.
The corporation held the 2026 Structural Maintenance Forum at the Wirye Militopia Hotel in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the 11th, where it announced this strategy. 
According to the corporation, 1,882 aging structures that were completed more than 30 years ago account for 16% of the total this year. The number is projected to rise to 4,304, or 35%, in 2031, and to 5,961, or 47%, in 2036.
The “section-based remodeling of aging structures” is a large-scale maintenance project targeting every structure between interchanges. It involves addressing damage at its source and applying preventive methods throughout the entire section.
The forum also covered the mid- to long-term remodeling plan and the status of projects currently underway on the Honam Expressway Branch and Yeongdong Expressway. Presentations and discussions were also held on policies and systems for remodeling aging bridges and on the development of key technologies.
Jo Seong-min, director of the Expressway and Traffic Research Institute, said, “Through the systematic implementation of section-based remodeling projects and the development of key technologies, we will establish a new standard for highway maintenance that reduces inconvenience for the public and further improves safety.”
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter