Hoehyeon Overpass Removed
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
The demolition of an old, unsightly overpass that ran across Myeondong and Namdaemun Market in Seoul has been completed, providing a much clearer view of Mt. Namsan and drastically improving traffic conditions in the areas.
Seoul City said Tuesday that the dismantling of the Hoehyeon Overpass, built in 1977, was completed a fortnight earlier than scheduled and will speed up the overall works to reconstruct the transportation system of the area.
Seoul City will build new traffic islands and pedestrian crossings at the Hoehyeon crossroads and an eight-lane intersection.
There will be three lanes going towards Myeondong from the Bank of Korea building, and Toegye-ro will be expanded to eight-lanes from the previous seven. "As the overpass was removed, citizens can take a view of Mt. Namsan over the Hoehyeon intersection," a city official said. "When we finish reforming the traffic system, bottlenecks will be gone and it will be more convenient for pedestrians."
The demolition of the overpass is expected to invigorate the commercial power and real estate market of the area.
The merchants expect that a connected shopping area without having to use the underground passage will bring energy to the market, especially for Japanese and Chinese tourists. However, the traders of Hoehyeon underground shopping center worry about the decrease of underpass users and asked Seoul City to devise a measure to compensate.