Gwangju Second Beltway, Section 1 is a 5.6 km, dual three-lane city expressway consisting of four tunnels and ten bridges, running from the Gwangju Dooam Interchange to the Sotae Interchange outside the city of Gwangju, with tolling at two separate locations. In response to the expansion and development of industrial areas around Gwangju, construction of the Gwangju Second Beltway commenced in 1997 to ease traffic congestion on the Gwangju First Beltway and to provide better links to the surrounding cities. Construction of Gwangju Section 1 began in June 1997 and was completed in December 2000.