Incheon's third sea bridge opens with world's highest bridge observatory

The Incheon Third Yeonryuk Bridge connecting Yeongjong Island and Cheongna International City in Incheon. Jan. 4, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, January 05 (AJP) - Incheon's Third Sea Bridge, connecting Yeongjong Island—home to Incheon International Airport—to the mainland, opened at 2 p.m. on January 5. The new crossing is expected to cut travel time from Gangnam in southern Seoul to the airport to about 45 minutes.

The 4.68-kilometer-long, 30-meter-wide bridge features six lanes for traffic, plus 3.5-4-meter-wide bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways on both sides. Linking Jungsan-dong in Jung-gu to Cheongna International City in Seo-gu, the bridge is the third sea-crossing structure connecting Yeongjong Island to the mainland.

Tolls will be collected starting January 15 after a 10-day trial period of the "smart tolling" (non-stop electronic toll collection) system. Fees are set at 2,000 won for passenger cars, 3,400 won for medium vehicles, and 4,400 won for large vehicles.

The bridge's main tower observatory, standing 184.2 meters above sea level, has been certified by Guinness World Records and the World Record Certification (WRC) as the world's highest sea bridge observatory. The observation deck is scheduled to open in March-April 2025.

Vehicles travel on the Incheon Third Yeonryuk Bridge connecting Yeongjong Island and Cheongna International City in Incheon after its opening in the afternoon. Jan. 5, 2026. Yonhap

An opening ceremony is held on the Incheon Third Yeonryuk Bridge connecting Yeongjong Island and Cheongna International City in Incheon. Jan. 4, 2026. Yonhap
Han Jun-gu 수습기자 jungu141298@ajupress.com