50 years after opening, bridge to be fully converted by August next year

Seoul Metropolitan Government to ban all vehicles starting Sunday

Pedestrian space to extend to underground underpass at north end

Bus lines 740 and 405 to be rerouted to minimize disruption

A rendering of Jamsu Bridge after its conversion into a pedestrian-only crossing. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
A rendering of Jamsu Bridge after its conversion into a pedestrian-only crossing. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Jamsu Bridge, which has carried vehicle traffic for 50 years, will be closed to cars and converted into a pedestrian-only crossing.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it will ban all vehicle traffic on Jamsu Bridge starting at midnight Sunday and begin full-scale construction to turn it into the city's first pedestrian-only Han River bridge. The final edition of this year's "Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Walking Festival," which has been held every Sunday since last month, will conclude Saturday.

Jamsu Bridge sits beneath Banpo Bridge and was designed to submerge during floods. It opened in 1976 as a vehicle crossing linking the north and south banks of the Han River and has served as a key commuter route ever since. In 2008, two of its four lanes were converted into space for pedestrians and cyclists, and in recent years it has been used as a cultural space where residents can enjoy the river through events such as the car-free walking festival.

The current project extends that transformation by eliminating vehicle traffic entirely and converting the bridge into a space where people can walk and linger freely above the Han River.

Jamsu Bridge sits closer to the water's surface than other Han River bridges, offering views of the river, the surrounding scenery and the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain up close. The city plans to complete pedestrian deck expansion and paving work by August next year, with the aim of hosting a variety of cultural events and festivals on the bridge.

Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to continue using the bridge throughout construction. The city said it will maintain clear passageways and keep work zones separated from pedestrian areas to ensure safe passage.

The converted bridge will feature 22 new riverside viewing platforms offering closer views of the Han River. The city will also clear vehicle traffic from the underground underpass section at the bridge's north end and convert it entirely into pedestrian space, improving the approach route from the Yongsan and Itaewon areas to the river — a stretch long plagued by vehicle exhaust, noise and narrow walkways.

"We plan to complete construction by August next year so that residents can use Jamsu Bridge starting with next year's festival," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said.

Once the conversion is complete, Jamsu Bridge is expected to serve not merely as a river crossing but as a waterfront cultural space where people can relax and spend leisure time. Seasonal outdoor festivals, street performances, flea markets and other cultural programs are planned to give both residents and tourists more opportunities to enjoy the Han River as part of their daily lives.

Meanwhile, the impact on surrounding roads from the vehicle ban is expected to be limited. A traffic analysis found that even if vehicles are rerouted to Banpo Bridge, travel speeds would decrease only marginally.

Bus lines 740 and 405, which previously crossed Jamsu Bridge, will be rerouted via Banpo Bridge in both directions. As a result, two bus stops at the south end of the bridge — the "Banpo Hangang Park·Sevit Island" stops in both directions — will be closed. Passengers are advised to use the nearby "Banpo Bridge South·Han River Citizens' Park Entrance" stop instead.

Im Chun-geun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Infrastructure Headquarters, said the full pedestrianization of Jamsu Bridge 50 years after its opening "will be an important turning point in transforming the Han River from a simple thoroughfare into a space where people can experience, enjoy and stay."


ikson@heraldcorp.com