An 800-meter stretch between Mangu Station and Sinnaejungno Underpass has been undergrounded and 25 utility poles removed; the project will expand toward Geumnan Church by 2027, with designer streetlights to improve the nighttime streetscape
The environment along Mangu-ro, the main road running through Jungnang-gu in eastern Seoul, has improved significantly following the completion of an underground cabling project.
Mangu-ro is a key arterial road connecting the eastern and western parts of Jungnang-gu. The district has been carrying out the undergrounding project in phases since 2020 to improve the road's appearance and pedestrian environment.
Since Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi took office in 2018, the district has seen wide-ranging improvements, including a renovation of the district office plaza.
Jungnang-gu has completed the undergrounding of an 800-meter stretch of Mangu-ro between Mangu Station and the Sinnaejungno Underpass. The district had previously finished undergrounding the roughly 4-kilometer section between Jungnang Bridge and Mangu Station. In the latest phase, power and telecommunications lines along the Mangu Station–Sinnaejungno Underpass stretch were buried underground and 25 utility poles were removed.
The district plans to underground the remaining 0.5-kilometer section extending toward Geumnan Church by 2027. Once that stretch is complete, a total of 5.3 kilometers of Mangu-ro — from Jungnang Bridge to Geumnan Church — will have been undergrounded.
Alongside this, the district will install designer streetlights along Mangu-ro to enhance the road's nighttime appearance and overall aesthetic. The plan aims to bring order to a streetscape long cluttered with overhead wires and utility poles, and to create a more comfortable environment for pedestrians.
"The Mangu-ro undergrounding project is one we have pursued with great care over many years," District Mayor Ryu said. "Through the undergrounding of power lines, we will create a safe and pleasant road environment that residents can truly feel. We will also push ahead without delay on undergrounding the remaining sections and installing designer streetlights, so as to improve the urban landscape and raise the vitality and value of Jungnang."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
