A dedicated bicycle road connecting Sure Park New Town in South Chungcheong Province with Sapgyo Lake in Dangjin and Asan has opened for the first time.
On the 22nd, designated as ‘Bicycle Day,’ the province held an opening ceremony for the Sapgyocheon bicycle path at the gateball field in Sapgyo-eup.
Approximately 300 people, including Vice Governor Park Jeong-ju and members of bicycle clubs, attended the opening ceremony, which included a progress report and a ribbon-cutting event.
The Sapgyocheon bicycle path was created in line with the ‘Chungcheongnam-do Bicycle Usage Promotion Plan’ to practice carbon neutrality and promote eco-friendly transportation.
Since August of last year, a total of 3.1 billion won has been invested to create the first bicycle path at a provincial level and the first-ever bicycle priority road in the province.
A bicycle priority road designates sections or lanes of roads with less than 2,000 cars daily, enabling safe crossing for bicycles and other road users, marked by road surface markings.
The route runs 36.4 kilometers from Sure Park New Town to the vicinity of Dangjin Sapgyo Lake Park, with a road width ranging from 4 to 6 meters.
Various amenities such as rest areas, bicycle racks, pumps, and pergolas (shaded structures) have been installed along the road to enhance user convenience.
The Sapgyocheon bicycle path was designed with comprehensive considerations of safety, design, and user convenience through the Chungnam Research Institute, incorporating feedback from local bicycle clubs.
Since it is built along riverbanks, most of the path is flat, allowing beginners to use it safely and easily.
The path is expected to offer a relaxed and pleasant riding environment by maximizing the natural scenery of Sapgyocheon.
Vice Governor Park stated, “To protect health and the environment and invigorate cities, we need to establish proper bicycle infrastructure. The Sapgyocheon bicycle path will be the first step toward making ‘Chungnam a bicycle-friendly city.'”
He added, “Starting with the Sapgyocheon bicycle path, Chungnam will continue to invest and expand bicycle infrastructure, creating a denser and safer bicycle road network. Through this, we aim to establish a bicycle transportation system in Chungnam that offers a threefold benefit: carbon neutrality, health, and leisure tourism.”