GWANGJU < invest Korea

According to Newsis,

[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Hong Chan-seon = The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced on the 26th that it has approved a highway connection permit to establish a new 'Hi-Pass IC' (an interchange utilizing Korea's electronic toll collection system) in the direction of Daegu at the Nongong Rest Area on the Gwangju-Daegu Expressway.

A Hi-Pass IC refers to a small-scale unmanned interchange that allows specific vehicles equipped with Hi-Pass terminals (passenger cars, buses, and cargo trucks under 4.5 tons) to enter and exit the national expressway.

The Ministry explained that until now, residents of Nongong-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, experienced inconvenience as they had to travel to the nearby East Goryeong IC located in Goryeong-gun to use the expressway. MOLIT added that once the Nongong Rest Area Hi-Pass IC is opened, the travel distance from Nongong-eup, Dalseong-gun to Daegu City will be shortened by up to 8.6km.

The Nongong Rest Area Hi-Pass IC will be installed at the Nongong Rest Area located in Nongong-eup, Dalseong-gun, and will connect to National Route 5. It is scheduled to open in 2029 following detailed design (1 year) and construction (2 years).

The total project cost is approximately KRW 12.7 billion, and the daily average traffic volume is expected to be 3,095 vehicles.

Lee Woo-je, Director General of the Road Bureau at MOLIT, stated, "With the approval of this highway connection permit, once the Hi-Pass IC is opened, we expect it to be effective for regional balanced development by improving traffic convenience for residents of Dalseong-gun and strengthening linkages with the metropolitan city (Daegu)."

◎ NEWSIS, goodchang@newsis.com



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Source Text

Source: Newsis (January 26, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.