The first section of the 13.8 kilometer-long Gangnam Beltway, which connects the southern areas of Seoul (Doksan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, and Suseo-dong, Gangnam-gu), will officially open on July 3, 2016.

The opening of Gangnam Beltway is expected to disperse the traffic flow concentrated on the Olympic Expressway and Nambu Beltway, and reduce the travel time from Geumcheon to Gangnam by more than 30 minutes. It is also anticipated that the opening of Gangnam Beltway will revitalize the stagnant local economy of the southwestern area of Seoul.

In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) anticipates that upon the completion of Seobu Underground Expressway in 2021, the traffic in Seoul will be improved as a whole, with the reinforcement of Naebu Expressway of the northern part of Seoul and the connecting systems further helping to reduce traffic congestion and travel times.

Nearly half of the entire section of Gangnam Beltway (approximately 11 kilometers) was designed and constructed as tunnels to minimize environmental damage and to maintain the pleasant surroundings of the residential areas along the beltway. In order to prevent accidents, a lane control system and queuing system will be introduced inside the tunnel to allow drivers to make detours or quickly evacuate in case of serious traffic congestion or accidents inside the tunnel.