Return traffic peaks 4-5 p.m. on last day of Hangul Day holiday

Heavy return traffic is expected to cause congestion on expressways heading toward Seoul on Sunday, the final day of the three-day Hangul Day holiday weekend.

Highway traffic authorities forecast that about 400,000 vehicles will travel from regional areas to the greater Seoul area, while around 360,000 will head in the opposite direction.

Congestion toward Seoul is expected to begin between 11 a.m. and noon, peak between 4 and 5 p.m., and ease by 10 to 11 p.m.

According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, estimated travel times to the Seoul tollgate as of 9 a.m. are 4 hours and 50 minutes from Busan, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan, 3 hours and 50 minutes from Daegu, 4 hours from Mokpo, 3 hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, 2 hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung, and 1 hour and 40 minutes from Daejeon.

In the outbound direction from Seoul, travel times are estimated at 5 hours to Busan, 4 hours and 40 minutes to Ulsan, 4 hours to Daegu, 3 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, 3 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, and 1 hour and 40 minutes to Daejeon. From 10 a.m., travel times from regional cities to Seoul are expected to run 10 to 50 minutes longer than the 9 a.m. estimates.

Among individual expressways, the Yeongdong and Yangyang expressways heading toward Seoul are forecast to see the worst congestion. Delays are expected to begin at 11 a.m., peak at 5 p.m., and clear between 9 and 11 p.m.

Major roads within Seoul were flowing smoothly as of 9 a.m. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's traffic information system, no congestion had been reported on key east-west arteries including Olympic-daero, Gangbyeon Bukro and the Inner Circular Road, as well as the East and West Cross-town Expressways and Gangnam Sunhwan-ro.