Olympic Expressway was Seoul's busiest road last year, while Northern Arterial Road and Ujeongkuk-ro in the city center experienced the worst congestion, according to city data.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 12th that its analysis of traffic volume and travel speeds on major city roads throughout 2024 showed the average number of vehicles traveling on weekdays fell by 10,000 from the previous year to 9.835 million, marking the second consecutive annual decline. The city surveyed traffic volume at 134 major road points and calculated speeds across 510 sections using taxi GPS data and 1,153 detectors on urban expressways.
Average weekday travel speed on Seoul roads was 21.7 km/h, while holiday speed reached 23.9 km/h, similar to last year's levels of 22.0 km/h on weekdays and 24.1 km/h on holidays.
Among urban expressways, Olympic Expressway recorded the highest traffic with a daily average of 239,000 vehicles, followed by Gangbyeon Expressway at 220,000 vehicles. Northern Arterial Road had the worst congestion, with average travel speed dropping to 36.8 km/h from 39.6 km/h the previous year.
In the city center, Namsan Tunnel No. 1 had the highest traffic volume at a daily average of 71,000 vehicles, followed by Sajik-ro and Sejong-daero in front of City Hall Station. Ujeongkuk-ro near Jonggak was named "Seoul's most congested road" with an average speed of just 16.1 km/h due to narrow intersection spacing and frequent downtown rallies and events.
Overall traffic volume in Seoul decreased slightly from the previous year. Weekday daily vehicle traffic was 9.835 million and holiday traffic was 8.63 million, declining by 10,000 and 14,000 respectively. November recorded the highest monthly traffic at 10.038 million vehicles, while January had the lowest at 9.539 million.
Friday was the busiest day with 10.26 million vehicles, while Sunday was the quietest at 8.405 million. During commute hours, evening rush hour (6-8 p.m.) averaged 19.8 km/h, slower than the morning rush (7-9 a.m.) at 22.5 km/h.
Road closures registered in the Seoul Traffic Operation and Information Service (TOPIS) totaled 54,246 cases last year, down 325 from the previous year. However, closures due to rallies and events increased 17.9% to 2,304 cases.
Rallies were held on 327 of 365 days, with marches occurring on 281 days. The impact of rally-related congestion was significant, with downtown travel speeds during holiday afternoons (5-7 p.m.) dropping to an average of 11.2 km/h.
"Traffic volume and travel speed data are important indicators showing road conditions closely related to citizens' daily lives, and we plan to provide them to relevant agencies and departments for active use in policy research," said Yeo Jang-kwon, Director of Transportation at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "Based on the analysis results, we will continue to pursue various transportation policies that enhance citizen convenience."