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| Cheonggye Expressway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cheonggye Expressway |
| Native name | 청계고가도로 |
| Length km | 5.8 |
| Location | Seoul, South Korea |
| Opened | 1976 |
| Maintained by | Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Cheonggye Expressway is an elevated urban expressway in central Seoul that carried motor vehicle traffic across sections of Jongno District and Jung District from the late 20th century until major partial removal and redevelopment in the 21st century. Built during the administration of Park Chung-hee amid rapid South Korean industrialization and urbanization, the expressway intersected transportation networks serving Seoul Station, Dongdaemun, Gwanghwamun, and the Cheonggyecheon stream restoration project. The structure and its removal stimulated debate linking urban renewal to heritage debates involving stakeholders such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Citizens' Movement for Civil Rights, and international observers including UNESCO and the World Bank.
The expressway was planned as part of post-war reconstruction under policies promoted by Park Chung-hee, Shin Sung-mo-era infrastructure projects, and advisers from institutions such as the Korean Development Institute and the Economic Planning Board (South Korea), reflecting models from United States Department of Transportation projects in New York City and elevated roads in Chicago. Construction began in the early 1970s with involvement from contractors linked to conglomerates like Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Daewoo, and it opened in 1976 amid ceremonial attendance by municipal leaders from Seoul City Hall and national ministries including the Ministry of Construction and Transportation (South Korea). Debates over the expressway paralleled contemporaneous urban projects such as Banpo Bridge expansion, the Seongsu Bridge reconstruction, and the development of Gangnam District, while later civic campaigns during the 1990s and 2000s involved groups like Green Korea United and legal challenges in the Seoul Administrative Court.
The elevated roadway spanned roughly 5.8 km, running east–west above the historic Cheonggyecheon canal corridor, linking the Dongdaemun Market area near Gwangjang Market and Jongno Tower to the Seongsu region and the Noksapyeong approaches toward Gangnam Station. Ramps connected to arterial roads including Jong-ro, Eulji-ro, and Taepyeongno, while interchanges provided links to public transit hubs such as Seoul Station, City Hall Station, and transfer points for Line 1 (Seoul Subway), Line 2 (Seoul Subway), and Line 5 (Seoul Subway). The alignment traversed heritage zones near Gwanghwamun, adjacent to landmarks like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung, and the Seoul Museum of History.
Engineered as a prestressed concrete and steel viaduct, the design incorporated spans and cantilevers typical of 1970s expressway engineering influenced by projects in Tokyo and Los Angeles, with structural analysis informed by firms collaborating with the Korea Highway Corporation and academic input from Seoul National University and Korea University engineering departments. Construction employed methods similar to those used on bridges such as Banpo Bridge and retrofitting techniques later applied after inspections by agencies modeled on American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standards. During the 1980s upgrades, seismic assessments referenced protocols from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and incorporated corrosion control measures recommended by consultants associated with Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology.
The elevated expressway provoked controversies connecting urban planning, heritage conservation, and environmental advocacy, drawing critics from groups like Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and supporters among business associations including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Opponents argued the structure severed historic districts near Jongno-3-ga and degraded air quality affecting institutions such as Seoul National University Hospital and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, while proponents cited traffic relief for freight flows to ports like Busan and industrial districts around Yeongdeungpo. The eventual decision to remove sections and restore the Cheonggyecheon stream under Mayor Lee Myung-bak triggered legal challenges, international academic scrutiny from scholars at Harvard University and University College London, and commentary in outlets such as The New York Times and The Economist.
At peak operation the expressway carried commuter and freight traffic linking central business districts including Jongno District and Myeongdong to peripheral corridors toward Gangnam District and Dongjak District, interacting with bus routes operated by Seoul Metropolitan Government transit agencies and taxi networks connected to companies like Kakao Mobility. Traffic studies by the Korea Transport Institute and academic teams from Yonsei University showed modal shifts following restoration projects, with measurable changes in vehicle kilometers traveled and redistributions affecting corridors such as Olympic-daero and Seobu Expressway.
Maintenance was managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government with technical oversight from the Korea Expressway Corporation on standards and periodic inspections drawing on expertise from Korea Institute of Construction Technology and private engineering firms including Daelim Industrial. Upgrades in the 1990s included surface resurfacing, expansion joints retrofitting, and installation of noise barriers inspired by projects funded through collaboration with the Asian Development Bank and technical assistance from World Bank consultants. Post-removal, sections underwent demolition contracting involving firms experienced with urban deconstruction work like Lotte Engineering & Construction.
The expressway became a symbol in debates about modernity, memory, and landscape in South Korea, referenced in works by cultural critics linked to Seodaemun Prison History Museum exhibits, in documentary films screened at festivals such as the Busan International Film Festival, and in literature and visual art exhibited at venues like the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. It appeared in South Korean cinema and television productions set in Seoul, noted by critics from Korean Film Council and scholars at Korea National University of Arts, and featured in international discussions on urban design led by institutions such as the International Federation for Housing and Planning.
Category:Roads in Seoul Category:Transport in Seoul