+ BACKGROUND, CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVES

Background
The Seoul Station Overpass was designed in the form that crosses from the east to the west of the Seoul Station. It was completed in 1970 to accommodate the growing population and traffic congestion, serving as a symbolic construction of Seoul since then. The Seoul Station Overpass has also left many memories for the Seoul residents, who had passed through it for the last 45 years.

However, its safety issue had been a chronic one since the late 1990s. The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has performed regular safety inspections, precision safety diagnoses, and necessary maintenance works on an annual basis. In 2006, however, the elevated road was rated to have serious safety problems; accordingly, the vehicle traffic was completely prohibited. Eight years had passed for the SMG to review the overpass and to make a decision to demolish it, with the policies prioritising safety and the people to traffic.

As such, SMG’s final decision was almost made to demolish the overpass; however, SMG redirect the project to turn the old architecture into a pedestrian path for its people. It was a solution by both the SMG and the residents to invigorate the area near the Seoul Station.

Challenges
The biggest concern for the Seoul Station 7017 Project was the traffic chaos in the surrounding areas when the vehicle traffic gets prohibited. In case of closing the Seoul Station Overpass, where 46,000 vehicles passed through every day and around 60% of such number of vehicles were simple passing traffic, it was estimated that the traffic of the neighbouring Chilpae-ro would be increased by around 27%, the Seosomun-ro traffic would be increased by around 6% and the Toegye-ro traffic would be decreased by around 16%. To cope with the situation, the SMG took measures to improve the traffic situation by making short and long range of detour routes and adding public transportation routes.

Objectives
An open competition for turning the Seoul Station Overpass, an industrial heritage of Seoul, into a new public space while preserving it, was held by the SMG. The objectives of the project were to regenerate the overpass as a place for people-oriented pedestrian paths as well as a green space, culture and communication centre by connecting it closely with the neighbouring areas and to bring positive impacts to the community.

SEOULLO 7017 SKYVIEW [PAST]



SEOULLO 7017 SKYVIEW [PRESENT]


 

+ ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION

Actions
Examination on utilising the overpass is listed as follows:
March to April 2014: Review on structural safety of the Seoul Station Overpass for the possibility of renewal (2 times).
July to August 2014: Joint conferences with design and structure experts for a renewal of the overpass (4 times).
October to December 2014: Analysing the effect of the Seoul Station Overpass renewal project (by the Seoul Research Institute)

Studies
Meanwhile, feasibility studies were simultaneously done by the civic participation as follows:
May 2014: Adopted as a pledge of the 6th mayor elected by popular vote
July to November 2014: The plan had included as the 4-year administration plan of the 6th mayor (as part of the Operation of Advisory Group for Administration Plan)
March 2015: Citizens Committee was organised.
May 2015: The 1st Citizens Committee for Seoul Station 7017 was held.
July 2015: The 2nd Citizens Committee for Seoul Station 7017 was held and subcommittees were constituted.
July to August 2015: The 1st conference by each subcommittee was held (for Planning & Operation, Culture & Tourism, Technical Advice, Urban Regeneration)

January 2015: Official Announcement of the Seoul Station 7017 Project
February to April 2015: Communications over a hundred times were conducted to gather opinions of the residents, experts, and other stakeholders.
May 2015: The Comprehensive Development Plan for the Seoul Station Area, reflecting the gathered opinions was announced.

Progress
13 December 2015: Vehicle passing over the Seoul Station Overpass has been prohibited.
December 2015 to April 2016: The baseplates of the Seoul Station Overpass started to be demolished.
March 2016: the commencement of bridge repair and refinement of the landscape began
June 2016: Commencement of construction
April 2017: Open to the public

+ OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS

Outcomes
Seoullo 7017, Korea’s first high overpass stretching for 1,024 metres, is a symbol of SMG’s commitment to sustainable urban renovation. SMG’s is committed to creating a pedestrian-friendly city, and to making the areas surrounding the Seoul Station an international hub for tourism and culture.


Expectations
1. Increase of pedestrians
2. Revitalisation of the surrounding commercial area, overcoming the disconnection problems
3. Establishment of green space, connecting the nearby parks & creating a pleasant living environment for better standards of living

+ REPLICABILITY AND SCALABILITY

The project could be replicated in cities that are considering recycling options for their outdated roads and flyovers, while at the same time considering a general improvement in walkability and providing more green spaces.

Seoullo 7017 was a project that required a sizable budget commitment. Therefore, there should be a careful consideration of the cost-benefit effectiveness.