Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, visited the Dongseoul Bus Terminal in Guui-dong, Gwangjin District, on the 15th to inspect the site, including aging facilities and traffic conditions, and discussed the future schedule and plans for the modernization project. Oh said the Dongseoul Bus Terminal will be reborn as an extra-large mixed-use complex with a metropolitan transport hub function, emphasizing his commitment to the "Gangbuk heyday" policy.
Oh went up to the pedestrian overpass along the road by Gangbyeon Station to take in the old Dongseoul Bus Terminal and surrounding facilities, then moved to the terminal to hear an explanation of the "Dongseoul Bus Terminal modernization project." After touring the site, Oh said, "Residents around here have suffered a lot because of noise and traffic," adding, "That's why you wanted swift mixed-use development, and at last, we will be able to break ground next year."
He also said, "We will transform the aging Dongseoul Bus Terminal into an innovative space where passengers can enjoy travel, business, retail, and culture in one place, creating a mixed-use transport hub that will become a new landmark for Gangbuk," adding, "While strengthening transport infrastructure, we will create a future mixed cultural complex to open the 'again, Gangbuk heyday' so Gangbuk awakens once more." He continued, "Without using taxes, this will become a representative example of 'wise development' that returns private development gains to citizens by improving chronic traffic conditions in the surrounding area through public contributions and upgrading aging infrastructure like Gangbyeon Station."
Opened in 1987, the Dongseoul Bus Terminal has served as a gateway for the northeastern region's transportation, with more than 110 routes a day and an average of over 1,000 buses coming and going. But safety issues from aging facilities, heavy crowds, and traffic congestion caused by buses are severe.
The city drew up plans to modernize the Dongseoul Bus Terminal beyond a passenger terminal into a mixed-use development for transportation, business, retail, and culture, and on May 28, the 9th Urban Architecture Joint Committee conditionally approved, with revisions, the designation of a district-unit planning zone for the terminal site and the planning decision.
The Dongseoul Bus Terminal modernization project will go through individual permits and administrative procedures, including a traffic impact assessment, architectural review, and building permit. Construction could start as early as the end of next year, with completion targeted for 2031. If the plan proceeds as intended, the Dongseoul Bus Terminal will be reborn on an ultra-large scale with seven underground floors to 39 above ground and a total floor area of 363,000㎡.
The terminal's entire functions, including the passenger terminal and transfer center, will be built underground to minimize traffic congestion and air pollution, while the ground level will be designed as a space with views of the Han River. By securing more than 120% of the current capacity, congestion will be greatly reduced, and commercial, office, and cultural facilities will be organically arranged in the upper levels.
An observatory will be installed on the roof to enjoy panoramic views of the Han River and Seoul, creating a space open to not only terminal users but also citizens and tourists. To improve convenience for citizens, the intercity bus stops that had been complicatedly set up along the street will be relocated underground at the Dongseoul Bus Terminal, and a direct ramp connecting the terminal and the Gangbyeonbuk-ro will be newly built to reduce damage from vehicle congestion and exhaust caused by bus movements.
A pedestrian deck connecting the Han River and Gangbyeon Station will be built to improve access to the river, along with exterior remodeling of the Line 2 Gangbyeon Station building, creation of green rest areas such as plazas under the overpass, and enhancement of flood control performance at the Guui detention basin.