Seoul starts work on its sky park

A venerable two-lane overpass next to Seoul Station will be shut down on Sunday as the city transforms the aged structure into a hip, elevated park.

Detours will start at midnight on Saturday. Yeomcheon Bridge and Sukdae Ipgu Junction are recommended detours.

The 45-year-old overpass was scheduled to be demolished due to safety issues. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon came up with the idea last year of maintaining and transforming it into a pedestrian artery and tourist attraction, a Korean version of New York City’s High Line Park.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 2017.

Cars coming from Gyeonggi or outside of Seoul are recommended to use roads located far from Seoul Station, such as urban expressways, Wonhyo-ro, Dasan-ro, Eulji-ro, Hangang-daero and Jong-ro.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has almost finished building a new road that connects Toegye-ro, linked to Seoul Station Junction, and Tongil-ro. The city was in the process of painting traffic lanes as of Friday.

Around 700 city government officials will be placed near the overpass on Sunday as a special task force. Seven bus routes, including 8001 and 104, that used the overpass will change from Sunday. More subway trains that pass stations near Seoul Station will operate during commuting hours for a week starting Monday.

BY JANG HYEOK-JIN [koo.yurim@joongang.co.kr]