Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan
I have two theories behind this:
1.) 95 and 676 each feel as if they were built at the "edges" of neighborhoods. Highways in other cities run through the hearts of certain neighborhoods, destroying many important buildings and intersections. Although 676 and especially 95 were mistakes that should have never came to fruition, large sections of neighborhoods were spared from obliteration.
2.) The worst of the planned highways were never built:
IMO, Philadelphia would be in MUCH worse shape if any of never-built planned highways on this list had been built. The 309 Expressway, 52nd Street Expressway, Girard Avenue Expressway, and I-695 highway would have all been an impediment to the city's rebirth and renewal.
|
I've seen this map before its the complete opposite hellscape of the 1910 Subway transportation map that should have been built.
I can only imagine what Girard ave would look like with a highway on it, as well as another highway a couple blocks away from 676 in Chinatown, Center city would have been destroyed.
Philly definitely would have been worse off with all those highways, its crazy they event thought about destroying majority of the city with highways, I wonder what that would have looked like in real life though.
I also think you may be right, the fact that 95, and 76 were built on the edges it minimized the damage that could have been done, yea the riverfront has a big "Wall of china" kind of feel in some areas, however what was destroyed was already in a end of the city shipyard kind of deal, would the riverfront be 100% better without it, YES! Does it kill the true fabric of the city NO.
I do think the best decision for 95 would have been. tunneling it as soon as it passses the Shipyard. and stadium. Yes that would have been expensive as hell, but hey we would have saved acres of plots and land for other use.
676 should have been tunneled from the rip, it's already basically a tunnel cap that shit and put the ventilation in. why half ass it?