Ulsan tram Line 1 back on track for main construction

Ulsan's urban railway Line 1 tram project, which had been mired in controversy over a potential suspension since the start of the ninth elected city administration, is getting back on track as the city finalizes traffic management and public communication plans ahead of main construction scheduled for next year.

According to the city, a transportation bureau briefing on its 2027 work plan held Tuesday — before the Chuseok holiday — laid out a schedule aligned with the February main construction start: a pre-construction public notice and residents' briefing in January, the launch of an urban railway website from February through April, and promotional video broadcasts running from February through December.

Specifically, the city plans to provide advance notices before and during construction, share traffic information including detour routes by section, and issue safety guidelines for passengers once the line opens.

Mayor Kim Sang-uk, at the Tuesday briefing, directed officials to "prepare to carry out the project successfully while minimizing inconvenience to residents caused by tram construction."

The city has also secured a promotional budget of 152 million won ($112,000), to be allocated across on-site outreach, a public communications channel, online promotion including a dedicated website, media relations, and traffic-linked information campaigns — all aimed at keeping disruption to a minimum.

With traffic management and public outreach plans now taking concrete shape, the project appears set to proceed without further interruption.

The same briefing also confirmed that the Line 2 project — a 13.55-kilometer route between North Ulsan Station and the Yaeum intersection in Nam-gu — is advancing on schedule. Line 2 will cost 440 billion won and feature 14 stations operating hydrogen-powered electric trams, with a target opening date of 2032.

Line 1 covers a 10.85-kilometer stretch between Taehwagang Station and the Sinbok intersection, with 15 stations and hydrogen-powered electric trams. The total project cost is 381.4 billion won, of which 228.8 billion won comes from the national government; 42 billion won in national funding has already been secured.

The project has moved through several milestones: an urban railway network plan was established in 2017, followed by a public hearing and city council consultations in 2019, a government feasibility re-examination in 2023, and basic plan approval in 2025. This year, the city signed a contract for the manufacture of hydrogen-powered electric trams and began ground reinforcement and temporary facility installation.

When the ninth elected administration took office, however, concerns over traffic congestion during construction and projected operating deficits afterward prompted a "project review," intensifying a public debate over whether to proceed.

At a tram response meeting on July 31, Mayor Kim said legal advice had found that unilaterally terminating the contract would be unlawful and that the city had no legal authority to halt the project outright. Yet he still called for a way to suspend work before the main construction phase, saying the tram "is a burden on Ulsan" and that "an opportunity must be created for citizens to weigh in through their collective wisdom." The remarks drew criticism for sending the project off course.

In response, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu, who represents Ulsan's Nam-gu A constituency, held a public forum titled "Is the Ulsan Tram Project Really OK?" at the Ulsan City Council chamber on Aug. 28, where he denounced any talk of suspension, saying "there can be no discussion of halting Ulsan urban railway Line 1 once the project has begun."