Gwangju Metro Line 2 is now expected to open fully in December 2035, five years later than the previous target, after a comprehensive review found construction delays and weak coordination across linked stages of the project. The projected cost has also risen from 1.7394 trillion won to 3.243 trillion won, adding more than 1.5 trillion won to the original estimate.
The review by a team of construction supervisors and experts moved the expected opening of the first phase from December 2027 to December 2028. It pushed the full second-phase opening from December 2030 to December 2035. Officials said unexpectedly extensive bedrock and buried utilities slowed civil engineering work, while schedules for building, mechanical, electrical, communications and signaling work were not sufficiently integrated with vehicle production and trial operations.
Several unresolved sections are adding pressure to the second-phase timetable. Contracts for Section 7 near the rear gate of Chonnam National University and Section 10 through the Bonchon industrial complex failed to attract successful bids five times. Supplementary designs and cost consultations are underway, while part of Section 13 through Suwan is being redesigned following a route change.
The increase in projected spending is not attributed solely to schedule management. Inflation accounts for 1.0021 trillion won of the additional cost, while 354.7 billion won stems from changing the construction method from an elevated line to a shallow underground system. Detailed design revisions and changing site conditions account for another 146.8 billion won. Authorities said costs will be reviewed in stages as extensions and further price increases are reflected.
A partial opening could shorten the wait
To reduce the wait for residents, the city plans to seek early opening of an 11.9-kilometer section linking Yangsan, Cheomdan, Suwan and Singa. The proposed segment covers Sections 11 through 14 and includes nine stations. The review found that it could open in April 2034, but the plan requires consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport because it would alter the operating plan and the project’s basic plan.
- Priority segment
- 11.9 kilometers across Sections 11 through 14
- Stations included
- Nine stations serving Yangsan, Cheomdan, Suwan and Singa
- Possible opening
- April 2034, subject to central government consultation
Roads along the proposed early-opening section are expected to reopen by the first half of 2030, while roads along the first-phase route have already reopened. Authorities also plan to manage all remaining work under one schedule, focus oversight on tasks that directly affect the opening date, revise annual investment plans to match actual progress and publish monthly updates on construction and opening preparations.