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Seoul suspends expressway conversion plan due to severe traffic congestion

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 13:43 Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 16:34

Roads are seen congested on the Seobu Expressway as traffic was suspended on the Omokgyo underpass in the eastbound direction toward Iljik for road-leveling work on June 15. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it will suspend its plan to convert the Seobu Expressway into a regular road after the project triggered extreme traffic congestion.

Instead, the city will widen existing lanes and consider alternatives such as pedestrian overpasses and deck parks to reconnect neighborhoods divided by the road.

Opened in 1988, the 10.6-kilometer (6.5-mile) Seobu Expressway runs from the southern end of Seongsan Bridge in Yeongdeungpo District in western Seoul to the Geumcheon Interchange in Geumcheon District in southern Seoul. With four to six lanes in each direction, it is a critical artery in southwestern Seoul but is often called a “chronic congestion road.”

The road cuts through dense residential areas such as Mok-dong in Yangcheon District and serves as a main route to the Gasan Digital Complex, a major job hub. Daily traffic volume averages 108,000 vehicles. A key alternative route, the Seoul–Gwangmyeong Expressway, is still under construction.

Despite these circumstances, the city began converting the road into a surface-level thoroughfare with traffic lights and crosswalks in June. The plan, first conceived in 2013, aimed to reconnect communities separated by the expressway. However, once traffic was suspended on the Omokgyo underpass in the eastbound direction toward Iljik for road-leveling work, congestion quickly spiraled into gridlock.

Lanes on the Omokgyo underpass of the Seobu Expressway in the eastbound direction toward Iljik are suspended for road-leveling work on June 15. [NEWS1]

Complaints flooded city offices, and on Aug. 29, even a threatening post targeting Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon appeared online, prompting a police investigation. The city ultimately revised the project.

“While the project was initially launched to improve walkability and expand green space, we determined it no longer fit current traffic conditions,” a city official said.

The city now plans to remove the median strip and add an extra lane, which will function as a reversible lane during rush hours. Plans for traffic lights and intersections have been scrapped, and the ongoing Omokgyo road-leveling project has been halted. The city said it will restore the underpass to its original state and complete the work before the Chuseok harvest holiday next month.

In the longer term, Seoul still aims to reconnect neighborhoods cut off by the road. The city also plans to revisit the road conversion plan after the Seoul–Gwangmyeong Expressway opens and traffic flow in the area can be reassessed.

“We will implement policies step by step to improve convenience for both drivers and nearby residents,” said Han Byeong-yong, head of the city’s Disaster and Safety Headquarters.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]