SkyscraperPage Forum - Urban Freeway Caps/Freeway Removal

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Urban Freeway Caps/Freeway Removal

A growing number of US cities are exploring ways to mitigate the impact of urban freeways and some are even exploring removing them altogether in favor of multi-modal transit corridors. This thread will discuss these proposals in detail.

https://urbanize.city/atlanta/sites/...?itok=stGq7ToO

A proposal for downtown Atlanta. Link:

https://atlantaintownpaper.com/2021/...nnect-streets/

That’s a cute little park. Super thumbs up.

San Francisco isn't planning to do it. We've done it. There's really only 1 freeway crossing the city left (I-80/101).

This what they wanted to do until the citizenry revolted:

http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/...reewayPlan.jpg

The Embarcadero Freeway was the most brutal, ugliest part of the plan that got built before the people got organized to stop it. Even it was brought to a dead end:

http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/...AerialView.jpg
Above 2 images: http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/...barcadero.html

More Embarcadero nastiness shown cutting off the iconic Ferry Building from the city:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b4/49...a8a143bd0d.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/56224695318650503/

But they never were allowed to finish it:

https://www.foundsf.org/images/thumb...wnp27.6035.jpg
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?ti...Freeway_Revolt

And after sustaining damage in the 1989 quake, it was torn down and now we have:

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/ser...458338/enhance
https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-im...dero-road.html

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/ser...458337/enhance
https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/ser...458337/enhance
https://www.google.com/search?rls=en...jHJCQbxuLXNeLM

Similarly, the Central Freeway was first dead-ended by the "freeway revolt" and eventually torn down after quake damage:

https://oewd.org/sites/default/files...-Octavia-2.jpg
https://oewd.org/octavia-blvd-project

became

http://www.saitowitz.com/media/65239...inc-02-960.jpg
http://www.saitowitz.com/work/8-octavia/

San Francisco has indeed proven that freeway removal can both transform the urban fabric of a city and improve traffic at the same time. I hope that the campaign to remove I-980 in Oakland picks up steam. That would be such a boost for the city and dovetail nicely with the A's plan for a waterfront ballpark.

https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads...land.gif?w=970

Yikes! San Francisco really dodged a bullet with those freeway plans.

Klyde Warren Park expansion in Dallas is one step closer to reality

http://www.gensler.com/uploads/proje...47_508x508.jpg

https://www.ojb.com/uploads/images/n...oject-site.JPG
Existing extents of the park cap

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/10/14/...wntown-dallas/

Here's one more example from San Francisco. The ramps leading to the Golden Gate Bridge pass through the Presidio of SF which is now a national park and part of the Golden Gate National Seashore. They are known as "Doyle Drive". They have been partly put below grade and partly covered over to open up vistas.

This is the way it was:

https://www.spur.org/sites/default/f...oad_before.jpg
https://www.spur.org/news/2012-07-25...einvented-road

And this is now:

https://www.spur.org/sites/default/f...road_after.jpg
https://www.spur.org/news/2012-07-25...einvented-road

It's still a work in progress--the landscaping isn't complete. Here's about the work:

• Video Link

Also note that the lagoon between the roadway and the Bay know as Crissy Field is a restoration. It was filled to create an aircraft landing strip in WW I but over the last couple of decades has been restored as a tidal lagoon that's now full of plant and animal life.

^ This is awesome! Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard about this. When complete, it seems like it will look and function so much better.

One for downtown Atlanta (The Stitch) :

• Video Link

https://www.atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/the-stitch

One for Buckhead Atlanta (HUB 404) :

https://www.buckheadcid.com/wp-conte...night-view.jpg

• Video Link

^Nice find. Here's map showing all of the proposed caps in the Atlanta area. These would be great for the city but the price tag almost certainly would require a substantial infusion of federal and private funds.

https://urbanize.city/atlanta/sites/...?itok=No4t8mNk

Wilmington lawmakers appeal to feds for I-95 cap to reunite the city

https://whyy.org/articles/wilmington...nite-the-city/

https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/...95-project.jpg

Philly i-95 cap
https://drwcsite.s3.amazonaws.com/fi...-view.full.jpg
https://www.delawareriverwaterfront....penn-s-landing

The bluffs over 76 (30th street station district plan)
https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/...t.original.png
https://whyy.org/articles/30th-stree...yards-by-2050/
I think they were also looking at the possibility of changing it to a Blvd after the 676 interchange now that the refinery land is being redeveloped. Also have been calls to cap 676 but all we got were a few dinky ones in front of the central library.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail (Post 9233794)

This is good stuff! Yeah capping I-676 is a no brainer given that the bridge spans would be relatively short. Finishing the cap over I-95 also makes a ton of sense and would aid redevelopment efforts along the waterfront. The bluffs over I-76 looks like it would be a real engineering and planning challenge, but I hope it happens!

Mr. Biden, Tear. Down. This. Freeway.

President Biden's infrastructure plans may have an impact on a New Orleans expressway

https://www.wwltv.com/article/money/...f-844a3c7a697d

https://architecture.tulane.edu/site...en_and_now.jpg