In response to the delay in the opening of the Cheongna Extension Line of Line 7, “we must gather all our capabilities and take necessary measures.”

Incheon City is working hard to come up with measures for the Cheongna extension project of Seoul Metro Line 7, whose opening was about three years later than originally expected.

Incheon City held a meeting at City Hall on the 12th with Mayor Park Chan-dae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Kim Kyo-heung (Incheon Seo-gu-a) and Lee Yong-woo (Incheon Seo-gu-eul), and officials from the Cheongna Extension Construction Project Management Group and construction company of Line 7 in attendance.

Participants shared the overall progress of the project and discussed the roles of each affiliate and ways to cooperate to increase the effectiveness of process management.

Specifically, opinions were shared on the establishment of a responsible process management system for each construction company, timely input of manpower and equipment to key processes, and measures to strengthen connectivity between processes.

At this meeting, Mayor Park asked, “Each construction company should move away from localized responses and gather all its capabilities to actively implement necessary support and measures.”

Representatives Kim Kyo-heung and Lee Yong-woo conveyed the concerns of the local community and residents about the delay in opening the Cheongna Extension Line and expressed their willingness to provide support for the smooth implementation of the project.

The Cheongna Extension Line, which began construction in February 2022, is currently under construction on a 10.7km section connecting Seoknam Station, the last stop in Incheon on Line 7, to Cheongna International City Station on the Airport Railroad.

During the project implementation process, the construction period was extended by about 3 years longer than expected due to delays in moving obstacles, handling civil complaints, dealing with changes in rock quality, and ground subsidence.

Incheon City estimates the expected opening of the Cheongna Extension Line in the second half of 2029 for the section from Station 001 to Station 005-1, and in the first half of 2033 for the section from Station 005-1 to Station 006.