The elevated overpass at Seosomun, located between Chungjeongno Station and City Hall Station on Seoul's Line 2, will be demolished. Beneath the overpass, there is a road where KTX and regular trains pass through the Gyeongui Line Seosomun crossing. As a result, traffic congestion is expected on surrounding roads during the demolition period.
Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, inspected the demolition site of the Seosomun overpass at 8 a.m. on the 28th and said, "It plays a very important role in urban traffic, but the demolition is inevitable for the safety of citizens."
The Seosomun overpass has connected Chungjeongno Station and City Hall Station for 59 years since its completion in 1966. It is 493 meters long with four lanes in both directions, and an average of 40,000 vehicles travel over the overpass each day.
In March 2019, an accident occurred when concrete pieces from the overpass's piers fell onto the road below. A thorough safety assessment resulted in a grade D evaluation. Major components have been damaged or are structurally at risk, necessitating usage restrictions or urgent repairs and reinforcements.
Since then, the city of Seoul has spent hundreds of millions of won annually on safety inspections and has conducted several rounds of repairs and reinforcements. However, it has reached a point where securing structural safety has become difficult. Experts have suggested that a complete reconstruction of the overpass is necessary.
The demolition work will begin at the end of this month and is expected to take about a year. Mayor Oh said, "I am concerned that the traffic congestion during the demolition period will cause great inconvenience to citizens," and urged, "Make every effort to minimize traffic disruptions during construction by closely coordinating with relevant agencies."