[Digital Today reporter Daegeon Seok] TMAP Mobility forecast and released expected traffic congestion times for Lunar New Year trips. TMAP Mobility and SK Telecom analysed big data on holiday travel and on Feb. 11 announced daily and hourly travel-time forecasts for routes between Seoul and Gwangju, Busan, Daejeon and Gangneung.

With the Lunar New Year holiday running from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18, outbound travel is expected to start the afternoon of Feb. 13, the day before the holiday begins. Return trips are forecast to peak on Feb. 17, Lunar New Year’s Day.

Outbound traffic is expected to be heaviest between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 13. The Seoul-Busan route is forecast to take 6 hours and 2 minutes, and Seoul-Gangneung 3 hours and 34 minutes. Seoul-Gwangju is forecast at 4 hours and 40 minutes, and Seoul-Daejeon at 3 hours and 40 minutes, all about 1 hour longer than usual. Demand is seen concentrating on travellers leaving early to visit their hometowns before the holiday begins.

Congestion on Feb. 15 is also expected to continue from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Seoul-Busan route is forecast at up to 6 hours and 2 minutes, Seoul-Gwangju at 5 hours, and Seoul-Gangneung and Seoul-Daejeon at 3 hours and 19 minutes, about 20 to 30 minutes longer than usual. By contrast, late-night and early-morning hours such as 0 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Feb. 13, 0 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Feb. 14, and 8 p.m. on Feb. 14 to 4 a.m. on Feb. 15 are expected to see relatively normal traffic flow.

Return traffic is expected to pick up from 7 a.m. on Feb. 17, peak at 10 a.m. and remain congested until 8 p.m. The Busan-Seoul route is forecast to take 8 hours and 53 minutes, nearly doubling from usual. Gwangju-Seoul is forecast at 6 hours and 45 minutes, and Gangneung-Seoul and Daejeon-Seoul at around 4 hours and 30 minutes each. The company explained that return-trip demand is concentrated in the latter part of the holiday because Lunar New Year’s Day falls late in the break.

Reverse return traffic is also expected to be heaviest on Feb. 17. For those departing Seoul on the morning of Feb. 17, the Seoul-Busan route is forecast at up to more than 7 hours, Seoul-Gwangju at about 5 hours, and Seoul-Daejeon at about 3 hours and 30 minutes, with congestion expected in both directions. The last day of the holiday on Feb. 18 is expected to show relatively stable flow, but intermittent congestion is forecast in some sections from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

TMAP Mobility will provide highway rest-stop toilet congestion information in the TMAP app from this Lunar New Year holiday. The service covers Jukjeon Rest Area (toward Seoul), Hanam Dream Rest Area (combined for both directions) and Yeoju Rest Area (toward Gangneung and Seochang). It also plans to provide traffic information including guidance to free open parking lots, updates reflecting toll exemptions, updates reflecting newly opened roads, the status of bus-only lane operation sections, temporary shoulder driving permissions, and improved images for complex intersections.