A firm was awarded a million dollar contract last week to study whether highway 280 should be elevated, i.e., essentially double-decked, over the mountain in its most congested stretches. It seems to me that when million dollar feasibility studies start getting awarded, the project is getting to the stage of being seriously considered. This caused me to seriously consider what might be the consequences.
My own experience with elevated, or double-decked highways, although limited, has not been very favorable. That method of highway construction has been used extensively in Austin, Texas, to create what is in my opinion a horrible result. The traffic congestion on the road and the entrances to the elevated portion are confusing and still congested. Everytime I drive on it I am thankful that it is not in Birmingham, Alabama, although I must admit I have no idea how bad the traffic problems were before it was built.
Lloyd W. Gathings
