The Pyeongtaek-Buyeo section of the Western Inland Expressway, which is set to expand from Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to Iksan, North Jeolla Province, will open Tuesday.

The transport ministry announced that a ceremony will take place to mark the partial opening of the expressway at noon Tuesday.

Upon completion, the 137-point-four-kilometer expressway is expected to be the longest road to be financed by the private sector.

Some three-point-27 trillion won, or around two-point-three billion U.S. dollars, went into the construction of the Pyeongtaek-Buyeo section, which extends 94 kilometers.

An additional one-point-15 trillion won will be spent to complete the remaining Buyeo-Iksan section, which will extend 43-point-four kilometers.

The opening of the Pyeongtaek-Buyeo section is expected to shorten travel time from the southwestern part of the capital region to the central Chungcheong area to around 60 minutes, and to the southwestern Saemangeum zone to about 90 minutes.