Olympic Expressway gets 'drowsy driving rest stop' with Han River sunset and night views as a bonus

Seoul has officially opened a new "viewpoint-type" rest area on the Olympic Expressway, marking the first such facility on a city highway. Located in the Pungnap-dong area on the Gimpo-bound side of the Olympic Bridge, the rest area aims to prevent drowsy driving.

The new facility offers 27 parking spaces, 24-hour restrooms, and an indoor resting area. It also features a promenade and a viewpoint providing scenic views of the Han River sunset and the illuminated Olympic Bridge at night. For nighttime visitors, landscape lighting has been installed.

Considering the nature of the expressway, Seoul has implemented safety features including dedicated acceleration and deceleration lanes for entry and exit, high-definition CCTV surveillance, and emergency bells. Data from 2021-2025 indicates four drowsy driving accidents occurred along the 43.1 km stretch of the Olympic Expressway.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that the rest area was created by repurposing an underutilized space. The city plans to evaluate user satisfaction and traffic flow changes to determine the feasibility of adding similar facilities to other expressways.