Busan-Geoje Fixed Link
| Busan–Geoje Fixed Link | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°0′57.2″N 128°44′39″E / 35.015889°N 128.74417°E |
| Carries | NR 58 |
| Locale | Busan, South Korea |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Fixed link (bridge-tunnel) |
| Total length | 8.2 kilometers (5.1 mi) |
| Longest span | 475 meters (1,558 ft) |
The Busan–Geoje Fixed Link (or Geoga Bridge) is an 8.2 kilometers (5.1 mi) bridge-tunnel fixed link that connects the South Korean city of Busan to Geoje Island. The name of the bridge is Geoga Bridge (거가 대교). The route opened on December 13, 2010 and shortens the travelling distance between Geoje Island and Busan by about 60 kilometers (37 mi). The new road has two lanes in each direction and carries National Road 58.
The fixed link opens Geoje Island to tourist-related development and saves US$300 million in costs related to traffic delays from the longer route.
The bridge was built under a public-private partnership. GK Fixed Link Corp, a consortium of seven Korean contractors, has a 40-year contract to build, operate and transfer the fixed link. The project is planned to cost US$1.8 billion. The government has provided only one-fourth of the cost; the rest is financed by the consortium to be repaid by tolls during the life of the contract. The lead contractor in the consortium is Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Co.
Designers involved with the project include COWI A/S (Denmark), Halcrow Group (United Kingdom), Tunnel Engineering Consultants (Netherlands), Pihl and Son (Denmark), Arcadis US (USA), and Ben C. Gerwick (USA).
The route connects Busan, Korea's largest port city, to the shipbuilding industries and tourism destinations on Geoje Island. It replaces either a 210-minute journey by road or a 120-minute journey by ferry. The new route cuts travel time down to 40 minutes.
The fixed link starts on Geoje Island, crosses three islets (Jeo, Jungjuk and Daejuk) and ends on Gaduk Island. In addition to the tunnel between Daejuk and Gaduk islands, a tunnel is used to cross each of the islets.
The 1.87 km (1.16 mi) bridge between Jungjuk and Jeo islands includes a cable-stayed bridge with a 475 m (1,558 ft) main span and 220 m (720 ft) side spans. This bridge provides 52 meters (171 ft) of navigational clearance and has two 156 m (512 ft) diamond-shaped pylons.
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