Discussion on Building a 20.5㎞ Underground Urban Expressway from Mapo to Nowon
Residents and Experts’ Participation in Deliberation… Detailed Implementation Plan to Be Released by Year-End ,
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| Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is announcing the related plans at a press conference regarding the construction of the Gangbuk Transverse Underground Urban Expressway, held at Seoul City Hall on December 18 last year. Yonhap News |
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, ‘A venue for public discussion has been created to deliberate on the construction of the Gangbuk Transverse Underground Urban Expressway, involving residents’ opinions and expert reviews.’,
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, ‘On the 16th, the City of Seoul held an inauguration ceremony for the ‘Gangbuk Transverse Underground Urban Expressway Civil-Government-Academia Policy Council’ at City Hall, attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, resident representatives from six autonomous districts, and experts from various fields.’,
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, ‘The construction project of the Gangbuk Transverse Underground Urban Expressway is a large-scale urban infrastructure project aimed at constructing an expressway underground for approximately 20.5km connecting the internal ring road Seongsan IC to the northern arterial highway Sine IC. Seoul plans to expand the underground expressway and gradually dismantle outdated viaducts by 2037.’,
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, ‘The council, made up of 67 personnel from the civil, governmental, and academic sectors, is established to address potential issues and challenges in the project’s progress and to derive social consensus.’,
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, ‘The project primarily affects six districts – Mapo-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Jongno-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Jungnang-gu, and Nowon-gu. Participating members include city and district councilors and resident representatives. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and district offices, as well as experts in road traffic, disaster safety, and urban development, are also part of the council.’,
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, ‘The council will operate in two main sectors: a ‘Resident Council’ and an ‘Expert Group’. The Resident Council, composed of resident representatives and officials from the districts, will gather regional demands, while the Expert Group will focus on evaluating the technical feasibility in road traffic and disaster safety.’,
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, ‘Following this, through joint meetings, the council plans to share review outcomes and derive consensus by gradually discussing key issues such as whether the route passes under privately owned land, the locations of entry and exit ICs and vertical exits, and traffic management plans during construction.’,
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, ‘Seoul plans to bolster field-based communication to enhance residents’ satisfaction. The intention is to hold regional consultations for each project section to discuss road conditions, access to riverside areas, noise, and dust issues during construction, thereby increasing transparency in the project’s progress.’,
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, ‘In addition, in preparation for complex disasters such as fire, flooding, and power outages, the council will review safety measures for the overall operation of the underground road, including section-wise ventilation systems, evacuation routes, and guidance systems considering vulnerable road users, focusing on expert input.’,
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, ‘Based on the council’s discussions, Seoul plans to prepare a detailed implementation plan and disclose it by the end of the year. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon commented, “This civil-government-academia policy council, with the participation of resident representatives and officials from the city and districts, as well as experts from various fields, will serve as a Seoul-style platform for public discussion that reduces conflicts and gathers wisdom to solve issues,” adding, “We will steadily pursue the ‘Gangbuk Renaissance 2.0’ based on solid social consensus.”’,
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