"Recontain" 30-year-old Yeongdeungpo Rotary demolished, bus routes changed

YTN Radio (FM 94.5) [YTN News FM Wise Radio Life]
□ Broadcast Date: October 21, 2024 (Mon.)
□ Host: Announcer Park Gui-bin
□ Castor: Hwang Jae-ho, Director of Environmental Facilities, Seoul

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.

◆ Announcer Park Gui-bin (hereinafter referred to as Park Gui-bin): Life white paper, today we will go to Seoul. Overpass and six-pronged intersections are intertwined
Yeongdeungpo Rotary, which had a lot of frequent road congestion and accidents. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will remove the overpass this week and turn it into a flat intersection. For more information, let's talk with Hwang Jae-ho, head of the Seoul Urban Infrastructure Headquarters. Hello, manager.

◇Hwang Jae-ho, Director of Environmental Facilities in Seoul (hereinafter referred to as Hwang Jae-ho): Yes, hello.

◆Park Gui-bin: There is news that Yeongdeungpo Rotary Overpass is also being demolished, so why should it be demolished first?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, Yeongdeungpo Overpass was completed and used in 1976 and transportation between Gyeongin-ro and Yeouido was once a symbol of industrialization.Now, 50 years later, traffic communication functions have faded due to changes in traffic conditions, and urban aesthetics are being hindered by continuing maintenance for the safety of aging overpass structures, inter-regional visibility disconnection, and slumming of facilities. In particular, as drivers know well, the overpass and the six-pronged ground intersection are intertwined, making it the most frequent intersection in Korea, where there are frequent traffic accidents. It is also an area where there is no bus-only lane, so the speed of the bus is reduced, making it inconvenient to use public transportation. As a result, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has pushed for the demolition of overpasses and road structure improvement projects with the aim of securing citizens' safety due to aging structures, preventing traffic accidents in intersections, revitalizing public transportation through bus-centered lanes, and improving smooth traffic.

◆Park Gui-bin: Yeongdeungpo Rotary was an old house for nearly 50 years. There could have been a safety problem, what about the specific demolition plan?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, I'll tell you the demolition plan. Traffic control will begin this Friday, the 25th, at 11 p.m. We will begin the demolition of Yeongdeungpo overpass, which is 15m wide and 280m long. The work will run for about six months until the end of April next year, and in order to minimize inconvenience to citizens, we plan to remove it during the night time when there is relatively little traffic and focus on preparation for construction during the day.

◆Park Gui-bin: What kind of construction will take place after the demolition of the overpass?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Once the demolition of the elevated road is completed, the construction will be carried out to change the complex six-way intersection into five-way intersections on a flat surface. We plan to unify the elevated road and the lower road to facilitate traffic flow. In addition, the construction of the sewage pipe flowing into the Yeongdeungpo 2nd rainwater pump station, which will be newly established to prevent flood damage, will be carried out within the rotary, and surrounding road pavement and park construction will be carried out to improve the road structure.

◆Park Gui-bin: Then will there be a park?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, that's right. The construction of a transportation square of about 7,500 square meters will be carried out together. After changing the two three-dimensional crossings into one, the transportation square, which will be created in an idle space, will be transformed into a healing space that combines nature and cities. It is expected that the floor fountain, pine forest, and walking paths will be created to serve as a resting place for residents in the city center.

◆Park Gui-bin: When construction begins this Friday, vehicle control will also begin, right?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, that's right. In the process of demolishing overpasses, traffic control will block overpasses, but traffic congestion is expected as the four existing overpasses are controlled. Therefore, vehicles using Gyeongin-ro, Yeongdeungpo-ro, Singil-ro, and Budnaru-ro should be diverted to the surrounding roads, and drivers who are forced to use Yeongdeungpo Rotary section should check real-time traffic information and drive safely and decelerate.

◆Park Guivin: Then will the bus route also be changed?

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, that's right. Nine routes and bus stops will be changed after 11 p.m. on Friday, when demolition work begins. From Singil Station to Yeouido Station, 360 No. 6633 to Gyeongin-ro, 5625, Village Bus Yeongdeungpo04, 605, N64, 6512, 6515 and Village Bus Yeongdeungpo03 from Budnaru-ro to Gyeongin-ro will also be diverted to Yeongdeungpo intersection, and the bus stop will also be relocated to the other side and changed in the opposite direction. The buses that are diverted are being informed in advance at the stop and inside the operating vehicle, and you can contact the 120 Dasan Call Center in Seoul for detailed information on the change of operation.

◆Park Gui-bin: Vehicle control and demolition work will begin this Friday. I'm sure some citizens heard and knew about today's broadcast, so please say something to the citizens.

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, first of all, I would like to apologize first for the inconvenience caused by this Yeongdeungpo Rotary Rescue Improvement Project that inevitably leads to traffic congestion in this area. As this project is being carried out for citizens' safety and better transportation environment, we ask for your broad understanding and cooperation.

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, that's all for today. He was Hwang Jae-ho, head of the environmental facility division at the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Infrastructure Headquarters.

◆Park Gui-bin: Thank you, chief.

◇Hwang Jae-ho: Yes, thank you.