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Cyclists take to Busan's bridges Sunday for citywide bike ride

Published: 19 Sep. 2025, 15:48

The "Seven Bridges Tour" cycling event will open on Sept 21. [BUSAN]

Busan’s bridges will swap cars for cyclists on Sunday. More than 3,000 riders are set to participate in the “Seven Bridges Tour: Ride across Busan,” a rare chance to cross marine bridges and explore the city's coastal roads without vehicle traffic.

The city announced Friday that the event will feature two routes — a 77-kilometer (48-mile) course for experienced riders, and a 33-kilometer option for more casual cyclists.

Both courses start and finish at Bexco, taking riders across the Gwangandaegyo, Busanhangdaegyo and Namhangdaegyo bridges and through the Shinseondae Underpass.

The longer route continues through the Cheonma and Jangpyeong tunnels, crossing Eulsukdodaegyo bridge and reaching Maekdo Ecological Park before looping back to Bexco.

"The event uses four of the city’s bridges, but Busan has seven symbolic bridges, so we named it the Seven Bridges Tour," a city official said. "If the festival grows in the future, the route could include all seven bridges."

Participants will leave in groups of 100 at staggered times, and roads along the route will be closed to cars for several hours Sunday morning.

Detailed traffic information is available on the city's website.

The last sunrise of 2024 rises under Gwangandaegyo Bridge in Suyeong District, Busan, on the morning of Dec. 31, 2024. [YONHAP]

Ahead of the event, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon chaired a safety inspection meeting with police, Coast Guard and fire officials on Tuesday. They reviewed road repairs, bridge joint safety covers, surface cleaning, air quality management in tunnels and bus detour routes.

The city designated Gwangandaegyo’s deck, the entrance to Cheonma Tunnel, Maekdo Ecological Park, the Busanhangdaegyo ramp and nearby roads as priority safety zones.

On race day, officials will monitor CCTV feeds from traffic control centers, and more than 1,000 trained safety and security personnel will be deployed along the entire course with police and firefighters.

Medical teams will include over 40 staff, 15 ambulances and two medical stations, with designated hospitals on standby. About 40 safety personnel and paramedics will be stationed at the Busanhangdaegyo ramp to respond to emergencies.

Mayor Park said the event is “a celebration that will showcase the beauty of Busan, where sea and city meet.”

The cycling event will also serve as the opening of Festival Shiwol, Busan’s fall tourism campaign running from Sunday through Oct. 3. First held last year, Festival Siwol combines art, performances, festivals, startup events and international conferences across the city.

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 WE SUNG-WOOK [[email protected]]