Flyovers torn down, world over | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Flyovers torn down, world over

Agencies | By
May 07, 2013 12:31 AM IST

The city of Seoul in South Korea has been quite aggressive in tearing down flyovers. Cheonggyecheon, an elevated highway, was constructed between 1967 and 1971. The 9.4-km elevated road catered to more than one lakh vehicles — mostly private cars — everyday.

The city of Seoul in South Korea has been quite aggressive in tearing down flyovers. Cheonggyecheon, an elevated highway, was constructed between 1967 and 1971. The 9.4-km elevated road catered to more than one lakh vehicles — mostly private cars — everyday. The government had spent $120 million in this project. The elevated road was, however, torn down in 2005 and replaced by a Boulevard Park.

HT Image
HT Image

The reason: The elevated road did not work as it witnessed regular jams. Tearing it down helped divert traffic to other roads and solved the problem of congestion.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

North American cities such as San Francisco, Boston, Milwaukee, Trenton, Portland and Chattanooga, Vancouver and Toronto too had built elevated highways between 1950 and 1980 but later pulled them down to make more space for pedestrians. Melbourne and Auckland too have removed some of their flyovers.

Bristol too demolished its City Centre flyover in 1997. The city administration realised that the flyover was giving precedence to private cars and only causing chaos. Though the administration is now contemplating to rebuild the flyover, the new elevated road will be kept exclusively for cyclists. It has already being termed as ‘Cycle Path in the Sky’.

Over 30 years ago, Portland in North America made the decision to raze the Harbor Drive freeway and replace it with a 37-acre park, making it the first city in the United States to initiate the idea of freeway demolition. The Harbor Drive freeway connected an industrial neighbourhood, Lake Oswego and areas south of downtown Portland.

(Source: The life and death of urban highways)

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On