Sydney Contemplating Tearing Down Freeway

"The demolition of the Cahill Expressway, one of Sydney's busiest roads, would not exacerbate Sydney's traffic woes, according to traffic consultants and urban planners.

The suggestion last week by the Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, that the road should be pulled down was based primarily on aesthetic arguments, but experience overseas shows pulling down motorways can also help ease traffic congestion."

"The so-called US freeway revolt began in Portland in 1974 when it demolished the Harbor Drive freeway. Other US cities followed, with traffic figures often showing a decline.

More recently, an elevated, six-lane motorway through the centre of Seoul was demolished. A park was created and a river was restored. The road carried 160,000 cars a day, but the city improved bus services and predicted traffic jams did not eventuate."