Seongnam~Bokjeong Metropolitan BRT to Operate from 2025

Seongnam-daero (Moran Station~Bokjeong Station) aerial view / Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] The 'Seongnam~Bokjeong Metropolitan Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)' connecting Namhansanseongipgu Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province to Bokjeong Station in Seoul will begin operation in 2025.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Transport Committee announced on the 3rd that it approved the development plan for the Seongnam~Bokjeong Metropolitan BRT project on the 30th of last month.

This project involves constructing a BRT line with a total length of 10.2 km (project cost 41.9 billion KRW, with 50% supported by national funds), and the implementing agency is Seongnam City. The section from Seoul Bokjeong Station to Moran Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and Namhansanseongipgu Station in Seongnam will be developed with a 24-hour central bus lane. The goal is to open Sanseong-daero (Moran Station~Namhansanseongipgu Station) in 2025 and Seongnam-daero (Moran Station~Bokjeong Station) in 2026.

Once the BRT begins operation, the Metropolitan Area Transport Committee expects that the public transportation system in the southern Seoul area, which has high demand and congestion, will improve and contribute to the establishment of a metropolitan economic living zone in the capital area. It is anticipated that the average travel speed of general lanes and bus-only lanes will increase, enhancing speed and punctuality.

In particular, this project is linked with multiple urban regeneration projects such as redevelopment and reconstruction in Seongnam City's original downtown, and it is expected to revitalize commercial districts, living zones, and regeneration projects through a 'transportation first, development later' approach.

Following the approval of the development plan, Gyeonggi Province and Seongnam City will begin basic and detailed design services, gather opinions from local residents and experts, and proceed with procedures such as approval of the implementation plan. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of this year. The plan is to ensure there are no issues with transfers to the 'Bokjeong Station Transfer Center Complex Development Project,' which will begin construction in the first half of next year.

Lee Seong-hae, Chairman of the Metropolitan Area Transport Committee, said, "We will actively support the Seongnam~Bokjeong Metropolitan BRT project to ensure no inconvenience in using metropolitan area transportation, and we will also strive to expand services such as transfer centers, metropolitan buses, and metropolitan railways."

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