Dongtan Together: A Shared Life as Gyeongbu Expressway Goes Underground, Unifying Divided Communities
- Pinnacle Team
- Sep 4
- 4 min read
As of 2026, a landmark park will be built on the upper section of the Gyeongbu Expressway that runs through Dongtan 2 New Town in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. This is the first case in Korea where an expressway that bisects a city is buried underground and the space above is used for a park and residential areas.
Uniting a Divided Dongtan
The Gyeongbu Expressway once divided Dongtan 1 and 2 New Towns, making it difficult for residents to enjoy the benefits of both areas. However, once the underground construction is complete, a massive park the size of 12 soccer fields (93,995㎡) will be built on top of the Dongtan Tunnel. This park will be even larger than Seoul's Gyeongui Line Forest Park. In addition, six new ground-level roads will open, effectively integrating the two new towns into a single community.
A Landmark Park with Korean Aesthetics
The park's design concept is "Dongtan Embracing Korean Beauty." It is inspired by the brushstrokes of Korean landscape paintings and borrows the layout of traditional architectural spaces. It will be divided into five zones from south to north, each with a specific theme: "Welcome and Transition," "Communication and Activity," and "Nature."
"Welcome and Transition" is a space inspired by the old Dongtan, featuring a large outdoor grass stage (365 Ground) for year-round concerts and festivals.
"Communication and Activity" is based on the concept of a wide Korean courtyard, creating the Dongtan Station Plaza, along with the Dongtan-ru pavilion—a modern reinterpretation of a traditional pavilion—and a mirror pond that reflects the city.
The remaining spaces will be themed to be nature-friendly.
Additionally, pedestrian bridges will connect the different park zones, allowing residents to enjoy the park without being interrupted by vehicle traffic. The bridges will also be linked to themed facilities, such as a water screen, a net playground, and a digital gallery, to provide a unique three-dimensional experience and promote community engagement.
A Blend of Technology and Innovation
The park on top of the Gyeongbu Expressway is an artificial park built on top of underground transportation facilities, including the Gyeongbu Expressway, SRT, and GTX. New technologies are being applied to overcome the structural limitations of shallow soil depth and the weight of the earth. To this end, the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) plans to award the contract in April using the Construction Management at-Risk (CM at-Risk) method, which selects a contractor with excellent technology and construction methods from the design phase. The selected contractor will work with LH from the detailed design stage, with the final park design scheduled to be confirmed early next year. Construction is planned to begin in the first quarter of next year and be completed in 2026.
Shin Kyeong-cheol, head of LH's National Land and Urban Development Division, stated, "If the Gyeongbu Expressway was a boundary that separated the city's communities in the past, the new park above the tunnel will be a symbolic landmark uniting the two new towns." He added, "We will do our best to make it a landmark symbolizing Dongtan and a place where citizens can rest their minds and find a moment of peace."
Ground-level Park: A Themed Park with a Korean Touch
The five park zones, currently separated by roads, will be connected by pedestrian bridges, allowing residents to enjoy the park uninterrupted by traffic. The approximately 1.5 km long, freely curved pedestrian bridges will run north and south through the park, creating a continuous walkway where people can enjoy the surrounding scenery and participate in various cultural activities.
LH explained that in addition to basic park functions like viewing, resting, and exercising, they plan to build themed complexes like water screens, net playgrounds, and digital galleries connected to the pedestrian bridges to provide unique three-dimensional experiences and promote community engagement.
Because the Gyeongbu Expressway Ground-level Park is located on top of underground transportation facilities like the Gyeongbu Expressway, SRT, and GTX, most of the space is an artificial park built by piling up soil. To overcome the structural limitations of shallow soil depth and the need to bear the weight of the earth, new technologies will be applied during the park's construction. To this end, LH plans to award the contract in April using the Construction Management at-Risk (CM at-Risk) method. CM at-Risk is a procurement method that selects a construction company with excellent technology and methods during the design phase to carry out the detailed design, with the construction contract being signed upon completion. The selected contractor will work with LH from the detailed design stage, and the final park design will be confirmed early next year. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year, with completion in 2026.
Shin Kyeong-cheol, head of LH's National Land and Urban Development Division, stated, "The upper park, built after the Gyeongbu Expressway is put underground, will serve as a bridge connecting the previously separated Dongtan 1 and 2 new towns." He added, "We will do our best to make it a landmark symbolizing Dongtan and a place of rest where citizens can take a break from their busy lives."
2024.03.25
