Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry recently announced his desire for state funding to begin removing the Hart Bridge Expressway ramps along the downtown riverfront as early as next year. For those who may question the potential results of expressway removal, here's five before and after examples where this plan has been successfully implemented.

4. Boston Central Artery

Central Artery in 1995 (Google Earth)

The Central Artery was constructed through the heart of Boston during the 1950s. Congested with as many as 200,000 cars each day, it inspired local nicknames such as “The Distressway” and “the largest parking lot in the world”. In addition, it also cut off downtown Boston from the waterfront and historic North End neighborhood.

After a decade of construction at the cost of $15 billion, earning the name “Big Dig”, a project that replaced the elevated Central Artery with an underground tunnel was completed. At ground level, a 27-acre corridor of landscaped boulevard, parks and reconnected streets tied the city’s once divided core back together. By 2006, a study by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority identified $5.3 billion worth of development projects, including 4,200 residential units and 36,000 jobs, recently completed or within walking distance of the completed “Big Dig”.

Central Artery in 2015 (Google Earth)

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