The Seoul city government said on the 17th that it signed a construction contract, including detailed design, with the HL D&I Halla consortium, which was selected as the qualified bidder for the detailed design of the Ui-Sinseol extension line construction project. The city will first begin detailed design across all fields, including priority construction work, civil engineering, architecture, track, and systems.
The Ui-Sinseol extension project was pursued as a private investment project that integrates the extension into the existing line. However, the project was delayed for a long time, including its conversion to a fiscal project in 2020. When construction companies declined to bid citing a lack of economic viability, the Seoul city government combined the civil engineering and systems institutional sector, which it had planned to tender separately, into a single package and adjusted construction costs to reflect current conditions.
The Ui-Sinseol extension connects Solbat Park Station on the currently operating Ui-Sinseol Line with Banghak Station on Line 1. A total of 3.94 km and three stations (including transfer at Banghak Station) will be newly built. The total project cost is 469 billion won, and the construction period is estimated at 79 months. Completion is targeted for 2032.
The contract concluded this time is for the priority construction work carried out in parallel with the detailed design. The Seoul city government plans to complete by next September the priority construction work, detailed design, and various impact assessments, and to conduct an underground safety impact assessment during the design period to prevent ground subsidence risks.
Once the extension opens, direct transfers between the Ui-Sinseol Line and Line 1 will be possible, which is expected to ease transportation inconveniences for residents in the northeastern area and make public transit use, including transfers, more convenient.
An Dae-hee, head of the Seoul Urban Infrastructure Headquarters, said, "We will do our utmost to ensure safety and quality control for the Ui-Sinseol extension project to meet the long-awaited expectations of residents in the northeastern area and to provide convenience in public transportation."