The Congress For New Urbanism (CNU) produces a report of freeway capping and replacement projects throughout the country. The projects are led by advocacy groups and government agencies.
Nashville is currently in the community outreach phase for its own freeway capping project. The project includes capping a section of Interstate 40 along Jefferson Street. This article is intended to give context as to how former freeway land is being reused in other parts of the country.
Nashville isn’t included in the report; however, I’ve created the map above for context. The projects selected were based on those that had renderings that I could create Now&Next sliders with. Links to both CNU’s full report and Nashville’s Jefferson Street project can be found at the end of this article.
Freeway Proposals
Interstate 345
Dallas, Texas
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Elevated Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT – 1973
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Study and public comment
Key Characteristics
Local advocacy group A New Dallas has shown the removal of I-345 as a path towards a more connected and accessible Dallas. The upside of removal is enormous—up to 375 acres of land could be reclaimed and redeveloped for homes, transit, schools, and parks. The Texas Department of Transportation is now reviewing removal as a possible option in its feasibility study for I-345.
Interstate 35
Austin, Texas
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Elevated and at-grade Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT – 1962
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Study and public comment
Key Characteristics
The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing a massive expansion of I-35 through Austin to as many as 20 lanes. Local groups, including Reconnect Austin, Rethink35, and the Downtown Austin Alliance, have proposed other solutions that reduce the highway’s impacts on neighborhoods, provide mobility choice and safety, and achieve community goals.
Interstate 35
Duluth, Minnesota
- HIGHWAY TYPE Elevated & At-grade Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT 1967-1991
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Outreach and coalition building
Key Characteristics
Duluth is the second smallest community to be included in a Freeways Without Futures report and a poignant reminder that highway building doesn’t only damage big cities. The Duluth Waterfront Collective, the coalition seeking to remove I-35, has made community engagement its priority, long before any official planning process has started. The removal of I-35 will reintegrate Duluth’s popular Canal Park with the rest of the city.
Interstate 5
Seattle, Washington
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Depressed Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT – 1962-1967
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Outreach and coalition building
Key Characteristics
In 1976, Seattle built one of the earliest caps, Freeway Park, over Interstate-5. Advocacy group Lid I-5 supports a plan to expand the cap as a way to reconnect Downtown neighborhoods and address equity, sustainability, and community needs.
Interstate 81
Syracuse, New York
Key Characteristics
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Elevated Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT 1957-1969
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Draft submitted to FHA
NYSDOT has recommended the removal of the highway and its replacement with a ‘Community Grid’ as its preferred alternative but has yet to make the decision final. The Community Grid has the potential to be a groundbreaking social and economic reparative infrastructure investment, if NYSDOT chooses to make this a priority.
North Loop Interstate 35/70
Kansas City, Missouri
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Depressed Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT 1957
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Study & Public comment
Key Characteristics
The removal of the North Loop and restoration of Independence Avenue has the power to reconnect three divided neighborhoods, bringing increased vitality to each. The Beyond the Loop study creates a long-range plan with immediate next steps the city can take to prepare for a potential removal while in the meantime increasing safety and connectivity.
Scajaquada Expressway
Buffalo, New York
- HIGHWAY TYPE – Elevated & depressed Interstate highway
- YEAR BUILT 1962
- STAGE OF REMOVAL – Study & Public comment
Key Characteristics
The Scajaquada Expressway slices through Buffalo’s Delaware Park, making parts of it dangerous for visitors. NYSDOT has presented alternatives that still prioritize high speeds, which were unacceptable to the greater Buffalo community. Now the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council is guiding the redesign process.
Below are the links to both the CNU’s report and the Nashville Jefferson Street Project. Be sure to subscribe for more on this and other development In and Around Nashville!
