Sejong-daero Lane Reduction Construction in Seoul ... Traffic Control from the 31st

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Construction to reduce lanes and expand sidewalks and bicycle paths along a 1.5 km section of Sejong-daero, from Sejong-daero Intersection through Sungnyemun Intersection to Seoul Station Intersection, will begin on the 22nd. To minimize inconvenience to citizens and ensure smooth progress, traffic control will be implemented in sections from the night of the 31st until the end of November.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to connect Sejong-daero's representative landmarks such as Gwanghwamun Square, Deoksugung Palace, Sungnyemun, and Seoul-ro 7017 into a walking path through the Sejong-daero space reorganization project. By integrating various contents, they plan to make it Seoul's representative pedestrian street symbolizing the "Walking City, Seoul" policy.

The construction will be carried out sequentially by dividing the area into Zone I, which includes three sections: City Hall Intersection → Sungnyemun Intersection, City Hall Intersection → Sejong-daero Intersection, and Sejong-daero Intersection → City Hall Intersection; and Zone II, which includes three sections: Seoul Station Intersection → Sungnyemun Intersection, Sungnyemun Intersection → City Hall Intersection, and Sungnyemun Intersection → Seoul Station Intersection. Additionally, construction will be suspended during peak commuting hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to reduce congestion.

After the construction is completed, the number of lanes in this section will be reduced from 9?12 to 7?9. The space freed from the removed lanes will be converted into areas for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and a 3,328㎡ green zone featuring various trees and shrubs will be created.

The city expects the vehicle traffic volume on Sejong-daero to decrease by 14%, from 2,936 vehicles per hour to 2,510 vehicles per hour, and the average travel speed to drop by 30%, from 27.8 km/h to 19.3 km/h. Hwang Bo-yeon, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, "Some vehicle congestion is inevitable due to the construction, but we will collaborate with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to minimize inconvenience to citizens," adding, "We will create a representative pedestrian street and a vibrant premium street for Seoul."

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