The Rise and Fall of Elevated Highways

Demolishing and rebuilding is an essential part of any kind of construction and there has been a worldwide trend to tear down elevated highways to make room for more peaceful space.

In 1973 a portion of the West Side Highway collapsed after a truck carrying asphalt came to repair it. The road which usually carried 140000 vehicles every day should have caused traffic chaos for years after. However after some initial gridlock the traffic dissipated as motorists made new choices.

Highways had a new lease of life breathed into it as transport planners around the world began adopting the ‘less is more’ motto.

Here is some great example of highways demolition in action:

New York

Through the rubble and dust of the aforementioned West Side Highway in New York came this beautiful river view. Dog walkers runners couples and nature lovers could now enjoy this simplistic paved area which cut through the urban core of the city.

“A year or two later we found that over time people made other choices” traffic engineer Sam Schwartz said. “Some took another route some travelled at other times and some took public transportation.”

The £240million revitalisation came at the continued backlash from politicians who were more interested in building a replacement highway. But once the road was built the rebirth of treasured neighbourhoods began such as Chelsea Tribeca and the Meatpacking District.

Seoul

What used to be a polluted 3.6 mile elevated freeway though the heart of South Korea’s city centre has now become a kind of Zen centrepiece.

After the initial road was built in 1976 the city saw great economic instability with 40000 people losing their homes and 80000 jobs being lost. The road was a congested disaster and it was up to Mayor Lee Myung-bak to fix this problem when he came into office in 2002.

It was an inner transformation for the city; the £192million demolishing and remodelling of this central area raised property prices by 30% and created a timeless tourist attraction.

San Francisco

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake brought the city to standstill and closed one of its most prominent highways.

But something strange happened the San Francisco Chronicle ran with the headline: “Traffic Planners Baffled by Success: No Central Freeway no gridlock—and no explanation.”

“Models had predicted that traffic would back up to Sacramento” says Jeffrey Tumlin a neighbourhood activist and urban planner “But that did not happen.”

Instead of going over old ground planners decided to spend £31million to rebuild the area into a stunning boulevard decorated with modern furniture. A previously depressed area littered with cheap booze shops and gambling outlets became a modern scene with restaurants and culture.

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Written by Phil Adams