Seoul Gangdong Cheonho Underpass Closed on 17th... Level Crossing and Central Lane Opening at End of August

The appearance after the Cheonho Underpass flattening and installation of the central bus-only lane construction.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 13th that it will close the Cheonho Underpass in Gangdong-gu starting at 10 a.m. on the 17th. This is to eliminate the regional disconnection between Cheonho-dong and Seongnae-dong by leveling the Cheonho Underpass and connecting the 1.2 km section from the southern end of Cheonho Bridge, which is an unconnected section of the Cheonho-daero central bus-only lane (BRT), to Gangdong Station.

The leveling construction of the Cheonho Underpass will be carried out simultaneously on the south and north sides of the underpass to shorten the construction period. The number of lanes will be expanded from the original 9 lanes to 10 lanes by adding one lane, and one central bus stop will be installed for each direction. A total project cost of 5.1 billion KRW will be invested, and the opening is planned for the end of August.

After the construction, Cheonho Intersection will shift from being vehicle-centered to pedestrian and public transportation-centered with the closure of the Cheonho Underpass, installation of crosswalks, and central bus stops. Additionally, with the installation of the central bus-only lane, the entire section of Cheonho-daero from Sinseol-dong Five-way Intersection through Gangdong Station to the Hanam city boundary will be connected by a total of 15.5 km of central bus-only lanes.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the road leveling will improve the crossing conflicts between vehicles using the Cheonho Intersection and vehicles entering and exiting nearby large commercial facilities, and securing sufficient left-turn waiting lane length will improve traffic flow in the area.

To minimize traffic congestion during construction, the city has established a phased traffic management plan to ensure safe passage through the construction zone. To further reduce inconvenience to citizens, the originally designed underground box wall will be changed to a prefabricated PC retaining wall produced at a factory instead of being cast on-site, thereby shortening the construction period as much as possible.

Furthermore, as traffic congestion is expected due to the full closure of the Cheonho Underpass, the city urges citizens to use public transportation. Citizens commuting via Cheonho Bridge from Guri and Gangdong-gu are advised to use Gwangjin Bridge, and those using the Gangbyeonbuk-ro are requested to detour via Olympic Bridge.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.