New crosswalk at Seoul Station to cut walking distance from 180m to 110m

[Financial News] Additional crosswalks around Seoul Station and Cheonggyecheon Stream will make it easier for people to get around downtown. In particular, a new at-grade crosswalk at the Seoul Station intersection is expected to cut the walking distance by 70 meters compared with using the existing underpass. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 9th that it had completed crosswalk installations at the Cheonggye 6-ga intersection and the Mugyo-dong intersection, and was building a new crosswalk on the north side of the Seoul Station intersection with the goal of opening it by the end of this month.
A crosswalk will be built over the underpass in front of Seoul Station Post Office at the Seoul Station intersection. With an above-ground pedestrian route connecting Sungnyemun Gate and Seoul Station in place, the distance people travel will be reduced from 180 meters to 110 meters. The change is also expected to make it easier for people with limited mobility who have difficulty using stairs to get around. Along with installing the crosswalk, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is also improving the lanes connecting Tongil-ro to Seoul Station.
An at-grade crosswalk was installed at the Cheonggye 6-ga intersection last month. Residents had been calling for one there since 2006, but the project faced difficulties amid concerns about a downturn in the underground commercial district and issues related to protecting cultural heritage. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that, after continued consultations with relevant agencies and merchants' associations, an agreement was reached through mediation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in December 2023. With the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the Seoul Facilities Corporation and three merchants' associations, among others, agreeing to the installation, a crosswalk was built south of Ogansugyo Bridge. As a result, people can now cross the two-way, 8-to-10-lane Jangchungdan-ro without using an underground passage.
A new diagonal crosswalk was installed at the Mugyo-dong intersection near Cheonggye Plaza. The area sees heavy foot traffic from office workers at lunchtime and after work. Previously, people had to cross twice to travel diagonally across the intersection, but the improvements now allow them to reach the opposite side in a single crossing.
Following installations at Cheonggye 4-ga in 2013 and Cheonggye 3-ga in 2020, the Seoul Metropolitan Government expanded its crosswalk network this year to include Cheonggye 6-ga and the Mugyo-dong intersection. It plans to continue addressing gaps in pedestrian routes downtown, taking into account pedestrian demand and traffic conditions.
Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Transportation Office, said, “Reducing the inconvenience of having to detour or go up and down stairs to cross a road is the starting point for improving the pedestrian environment for citizens. We will continue to carefully examine the inconveniences people face in their daily lives and create a Seoul where everyone can walk safely and conveniently.”

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter