Traffic jam on highways expected on Memorial Day

Highways are expected to have 4.11 million cars on average per day from June 4 through 8, a period that includes holidays – Local Election Day on June 4 and Memorial Day on June 6. This is up by 4.2 percent from the same period of last year. In particular, 4.6 million cars are expected to be on highways on Friday.

Korea Expressway Corporation forecast this on Tuesday after surveying some 1,200 people across the country from May 16 through 27. The highways heading for provinces are likely to be most crowded between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday. The number of cars heading to Seoul is likely to peak between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

It is expected to take maximum seven hours from Seoul to Daejeon on Memorial Day, seven hours and 10 minutes from Seoul to Gangneung, and seven hours and 40 minutes from Seoul to Busan.

Korea Expressway Corporation plans to prepare for a surge in traffic by setting up temporary restrooms and opening shoulders on Gyeongbu Expressway for the period. In addition, it will fly an unmanned plane over the Gyeongbu Expressway in the Seoul metropolitan area to crack down on cars breaking traffic laws and monitor traffic conditions in congested areas in Seohaean Expressway with an unmanned helicopter.