# Help: Looking for examples of creative use of elevated highway underside, 12+ lanes only.



## Jasonhouse (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi all! Here's your chance to do a favor for one of SSC's founding admins.  I'm looking for examples of something that I have been unable to locate through typical internet searches. 



I need information on unusually wide (12+ lanes), elevated viaducts that have "amenities" that people use underneath them (not parking). 

Whether it be park type amenities, bike trails, or low slung buildings... Basically anything useful other than parking.



I'm NOT looking for:

• Info on amenities under narrower elevated structures, involving less than 12+ lanes wide in a single viaduct. The wider, the better. 

• Ends of tall bridges, where the viaduct is more than perhaps 20-30' tall.

I'm specifically looking for low slung, superwide viaducts where neither light or air get good penetration underneath. Trying to find out if anyone has ever figured out something useful to do with this horrid space? 


If you don't know, but know someone who might, please take a moment and share this with them. 


Thank you!



ps... Celebrating post #16,000. :banana:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

A difficult question. First, there aren't that many 12 lane roads, second, even fewer of those are elevated (other than an interchange or river bridge) and then there also has to be something done with that space other than parking.

Most elevated highways in North America are not wider than 6-8 lanes, and while Asia has many elevated highways, they are usually only 4-6 lanes.

I-10 is elevated just west of Downtown Los Angeles, with 14 lanes. There is parking, a car dealership and self-storage units underneath it.


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## Jasonhouse (Jul 27, 2002)

Yeah, that's why I'm asking here, where I know we have some enthusiasts who will know where, or what's the closest approximation. 

We have these yahoos here in Tampa proposing a 12-24 lane version of the interstate, trying to tell everyone that people will watch movies and listen to bands play under the highway. When I was in college, I supervised people stationed under a narrower highway at parking lots, and we had to rotate the attendants every hour, because it was considered a 'hazardous' post, because of the excessive noise, pollution and heat. The idea that people will frolic under a 400' wide elevated highway in Tampa is insane.


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## Innsertnamehere (Jun 8, 2010)

Highway 401 in Toronto is elevated over a commuter rail parking lot at Leslie street, and is 14 lanes wide.

In terms of active uses under an overpass, Toronto has "underpass park" under some elevated off ramps from the Don Valley Parkway. It's used for a skateboard park and basketball courts and is generally pretty safe.

The "Under Gardiner" is also a current project to make a park underneath the Gardiner expressway, though it isn't complete yet. The Gardiner is only 6 lanes through that part though.

But yea, there are very few 12+ lane roads in the world. It's slim pickings on that basis alone, yet alone elevated. The 401 going over the commuter parking lot is the closest I can think of, and it's far from friendly down there.


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