The Honam Expressway (Korean: 호남고속도로) is a controlled-access toll expressway in South Korea, designated as Route 25, serving the southwestern Honam region. The freeway connects Nonsan in South Chungcheong Province to Gwangju and Suncheon in South Jeolla Province, linking with the Nonsan-Cheonan Expressway, the Honam Expressway Branch Line, and the Namhae Expressway.
Route Information
- Length: 194.22 km (mainline)
- Southern terminus: Suncheon, South Jeolla Province
- Northern terminus: Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province
- Existed: 1971–present
- Speed limit: 100 km/h
History
- April 15, 1970: Construction began.
- December 30, 1970: The Daejeon–Jeonju section (79.1 km) opened to traffic.
- November 14, 1973: The Jeonju–Suncheon section (181.6 km) opened to traffic.
- June 1, 1978: Toll collection began.
- April 25, 1983: Work began to widen the Daejeon–Jeonju section to four lanes.
- June 30, 1986: The four-lane expansion of the Daejeon–Jeonju section was completed.
- September 11, 1986: The four-lane expansion of the Jeonju–Gwangju section was completed.
- September 1, 1989: The four-lane expansion of the Gwangju section (West Gwangju IC–Goseo JCT) was completed.
- November 8, 1996: The four-lane expansion of the Gwangju–Suncheon section was completed.
- August 25, 2001: The expressway was divided into the Honam Expressway (Suncheon–Nonsan) and the Honam Expressway Branch (Nonsan–Daejeon).
- December 17, 2009: The eight-lane expansion of the Munheung–Goseo section was completed.
- July 20, 2010: The six-lane expansion of the East Gwangju–Munheung section was completed.
- October 27, 2010: The six- and eight-lane expansion of the Samnye–Nonsan section was completed.
Lane Configuration
- West Suncheon IC–Goseo JC / East Gwangju IC–Samnye IC: 4 lanes
- Munheung JC–East Gwangju IC / Samnye IC–Iksan JC: 6 lanes
- Goseo JC–Munheung JC / Iksan JC–Nonsan JC: 8 lanes
Major Junctions
The expressway connects with several other major routes, including the Namhae Expressway (at Suncheon), the Gwangju–Daegu Expressway (at Goseo JC and Munheung JC), the Gochang–Damyang Expressway (at Daedeok JC and Jangseong JC), the Iksan–Pohang Expressway and Suncheon–Wanju Expressway (at Iksan JC), and the Honam Expressway Branch and Nonsan-Cheonan Expressway (at Nonsan JC).
Branch Line
The Honam Expressway Branch (Route 251) is a 54 km spur expressway connecting Nonsan on the Honam Expressway to Daejeon on the Gyeongbu Expressway. This route was originally part of the main Honam Expressway until August 2001.
