05/26/2003   English German
  Edition # 44  
San Francisco, 05-26-2003

Demolition work on Highway 101
Figure [1]: Demolition of city parts of highway 101

Michael It's hardly remembered now, but the "Loma Prieta" earthquake fourteen years ago caused parts of a highway that then ran halfway through San Francisco to collapse. At that time, Highway 101 led into the city, but the structures supported by thick concrete pillars could not withstand the forces of nature. Bam! As soon as the highway became impassable, residents began to ask themselves: Hey, do we even need it? This sparked a heated debate between frustrated commuters, who had to take side streets, and the city residents.

To put it briefly, the dispute lasted fourteen years. For that long, semi-derelict highway structures were standing around in San Francisco. What remained was a completely confusing and asymmetrical expressway network, where once you took an exit, you couldn't get back on because the corresponding entrance was missing. Or vice versa. Now the city has decided to tear down the highway remnants and not rebuild them; instead, palm trees are to be planted. This calls for creativity in navigation and intensive studying of city maps if you want to get ahead!

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