'Samgakji Overpass,' Source of Traffic Chaos, to Be Demolished in 2029

Samgakji Overpass Demolition and Underground Road Project Accelerates
Rising Urban Traffic Increases Congestion
Four-Lane Underground Roadway Planned After Demolition
Demolition to Follow Investment Review and Detailed Design

The Samgakji Overpass, which has been causing traffic congestion around Samgakji Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is scheduled to be demolished in 2029. The feasibility study, which began earlier this year, is expected to be completed by early next year, and an additional two to three years will be needed for investment review and detailed design. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to build an underground road with four lanes in both directions after the overpass is removed.

According to the maintenance industry on October 22, the Seoul Metropolitan Government recently held an expert advisory meeting regarding the demolition and underground relocation of the Samgakji Overpass and conveyed this plan to the contractor. Once the second advisory meeting, scheduled for December, is completed, the feasibility study and basic planning service targeting demolition in 2029 will be finalized.

The Samgakji Overpass, located at the Samgakji intersection and Baekbeom-ro area, was constructed in 1974. Along with the Samgakji grade-separated interchange, which was completed in 1968 and demolished in 1994, it served as a connection between Yongsan-gu and Mapo-gu. However, as the number of vehicles in the city increased, the overpass became a source of traffic congestion.

The government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government also had to recalculate traffic demand as they began developing the Yongsan International Business District. Even now, vehicles traveling on the four-lane Baekbeom-ro experience bottlenecks as they enter and exit the two-lane Samgakji Overpass. In the future, a 495,000 square meter site in the Yongsan International Business District will be developed with a 100-story landmark building and 6,000 residential units, including apartments and officetels.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to build an underground road with a length of 700 meters and four lanes in both directions after demolishing the overpass. Although there was initial consideration to extend the underground road beyond Samgakji Station, the plan was abandoned due to concerns over project cost, construction period, and safety. The city expects that simply distributing vehicle movement between the upper and lower levels will ease the flow toward the southern part of the Yongsan International Business District.

Once the feasibility study is completed early next year, the investment review will begin. Under the current Local Finance Act, a feasibility study by the Local Investment Management Center (LIMAC) of the Korea Local Administration Research Institute is mandatory for projects with a total cost of 50 billion won or more. Typically, LIMAC's feasibility studies take about a year to complete.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to establish a phased demolition plan and funding plan through the feasibility study. As the Samgakji Overpass demolition and underground relocation project is included in the metropolitan transportation improvement measures, discussions with the central government will be necessary. Internally, the city also considered designating the Yongsan district as a special traffic congestion management zone.

After the investment review, a detailed design reflecting the total construction period, scope, and construction methods will be carried out, which is also expected to take about a year. The current demolition schedule is set for 2029, but the timeline for underground work may change depending on the pace of development in the Yongsan International Business District.

A Seoul Metropolitan Government official stated, "Once the Yongsan International Business District is established and the area is redeveloped after 2030, vehicle inflow and outflow will increase further," adding, "We will continue to consider various measures for traffic safety and citizen convenience, including the demolition of the Samgakji Overpass."

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