Seoul said on the 22nd that the Sogong-ro reversible lane, the last reversible lane in the city, will be abolished for the first time in about 45 years.
Sogong-ro is a major downtown arterial road consolidation Seoul Plaza and the Bank of Korea. The sidewalk has been narrow for the volume of foot traffic, causing ongoing inconvenience for residents. The narrowest sidewalk width on the side from the Chosun Hotel toward Seoul Plaza was only 0.7 meters.
Also, in the section from the Chosun Hotel four-way intersection to the Bank of Korea intersection, some lane widths were only 2.8 meters due to the operation of reversible lanes. This falls short of the minimum standard of 3.0 meters under the regulations on road structure and facilities standards.
Accordingly, Seoul plans to abolish the reversible lanes and instead widen lane widths to meet the legal standards. The city also plans to expand sidewalks in the space secured, aiming to improve both downtown walking and traffic safety.
First, Sogong-ro, which had five lanes in both directions, will be adjusted to four lanes in both directions, and the lane width will be expanded to 3.0 meters or more. To strengthen pedestrian safety, sidewalks will be widened, increasing the sidewalk width from 0.7 meters to as much as 2.7 meters.
The removal of three reversible traffic signals, the final step to abolish the reversible lanes, will take place from 10 p.m. on the 27th to 6 a.m. on the following day, the 27th. During this period, all lanes in the section from the Chosun Hotel four-way intersection to in front of the Bank of Korea will be closed.
To minimize inconvenience to residents from the full road closure, Seoul plans to provide advance notice of the controlled section and detours through variable message signs (VMS), bus information terminals (BIT), the Seoul Traffic Information System (TOPIS), the 120 Dasan Call Center, and navigation services.
Lim Chun-geun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Infrastructure Headquarters, said, "By expanding sidewalks, installing pedestrian safety facilities, and improving lane widths, we will create a road environment that both pedestrians and drivers can use safely and conveniently," and added, "We will carry out the construction without setbacks to create a pedestrian-friendly downtown walking environment that residents can feel."