Seodaemun-gu, Natural and Chunghyeon-dong Pedestrian Environment Improvement

Published 15 Jan.2020 16:22(KST)

Improving pedestrian safety with expanded sidewalks and speed bumps combined with crosswalk installation... Promoting commercial area revitalization through themed streets and archive exhibitions... Research in early 2024, detailed design in late 2024, construction starting spring 2025, aiming for completion in 2026

Seodaemun-gu, Natural and Chunghyeon-dong Pedestrian Environment Improvement

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) is promoting a pedestrian environment improvement project for the internal roads in the Cheonyeon and Chunghyeon-dong areas, extending from ‘Dongnimmun-ro’ to ‘Gyeonggi-daero’.

The target area is a 1.6 km long curved road with many discontinuous sidewalks and narrow effective road widths due to resident parking zones and other factors.

The district aims to enhance pedestrian safety by completing the project by the end of 2022, following basic design in the first half of this year, detailed design in the second half, and construction starting next spring.

The basic design includes tasks such as investigating and analyzing current data like road traffic volume, setting directions that align with local conditions and residents’ opinions, and establishing plans that can be linked with the detailed design.

Seodaemun-gu included this pedestrian environment improvement project in the ‘Cheonyeon and Chunghyeon-dong Area Urban Regeneration Activation Plan’ announced on November 20 last year and allocated approximately 3 billion KRW for the related project costs.

To improve pedestrian safety in the area, the district will install △rest benches for the elderly and others △pedestrian priority road signs △lane control bollards △pedestrian safety lighting.

Additionally, they will create raised crosswalks (crosswalks built at the same height as sidewalks that act as speed bumps) and use colors and designs to make the road lanes around the crosswalks more visible.

Furthermore, a survey will be conducted to improve satisfaction among nearby residents, and additional measures will be taken based on the collected feedback.

In particular, Seodaemun-gu plans to design this road as a themed street symbolizing ‘past, present, and future,’ utilizing Seoul Future Heritage sites such as Seokgyo Methodist Church and Yeongcheon Market within the project area to display archive materials, making various efforts to revitalize the commercial district.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, stated, “We plan to actively reflect residents’ improvement suggestions and transform the congested street into a pedestrian-friendly street. We expect that the improvement of congestion and increased pedestrian inflow will revitalize the local commercial district and raise residents’ satisfaction.”