◀ anchor ▶
The Chuseok holiday begins today.
There are now long lines on the highway as homecoming travelers start moving from dawn ahead of tomorrow’s Lunar New Year.
Let’s check the situation on the way home now.
Reporter Cha Hyun-jin.
◀ reporter ▶
Yes, the day before Chuseok, the toll gates here in Seoul are flooding with cars heading home.
As the number of vehicles returning home increased from early this morning, congestion started at 4 am, and even now, a long line of vehicles continues on various highways across the country.
As it is the first holiday since social distancing was lifted, 5.42 million cars, regarding 10 percent more than last year, are expected to use the highway.
Let’s take a closer look at the traffic situation at this time by looking at the closed circuit screen.
First, it is near Yongin on the Yeongdong Expressway.
As the traffic volume on the way home increases, cars in the direction of Gangneung are moving slowly.
Next is the Hwaseong Rest Area on the West Coast Expressway.
There is an endless procession of returning home to Mokpo, and cars are not speeding up.
As of noon, it is estimated that it will take 7 hours 30 minutes from the Seoul tollgate to Busan, 6 hours 50 minutes to Mokpo, and 5 hours 20 minutes to Gangneung.
The Korea Expressway Corporation believes that the congestion on the road to Gwangseong is at its peak now, and it is expected to be cleared around 8 to 9 pm.
The national highway toll waiver, which was suspended due to COVID-19, will resume following two years.
For four days from today, you can obtain a toll and submit it to the toll booth or use the high-pass lane to be exempted from the toll.
In addition, there are temporary screening stations for COVID-19 at 9 rest stops across the country, including Anseong Service Area, in the direction of Seoul, so if you have any doubts, you can use it.
Until now, this is Cha Hyun-jin from MBC News at the Seoul tollgate.
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