SR 520 Montlake Project - Removing the last of the SR 520 ramps through the Arboretum

In spring 2024, contractor crews removed the last of the SR 520 ramps that once cut through Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum. The removal also included the only portion of the planned R.H. Thomson Expressway that was ever built. One piece of the expressway, known to WSDOT as bent #2, was preserved and will serve as an historical marker to commemorate the community effort to stop the R.H. Thomson Expressway project.

[@DJBlueX]

As a lifelong resident of the Seattle area, I have memories of going past these ghost ramps as a kid and a young adult. I also remember that they used to have fountains just east of those ramps. Glad they’re at least preserving one little piece of it.

[@Daren_PNW]

Very neat history fact, thanks!

[@bretwebber7484]

Wazzup from Hanford site 😊!

[@bogdanivchenko3723]

wouuld be way better if it was built

[@Languille]

For real! The whole video I was thinking this freeway would actually fix SO many problems around here. They should do it to 405 somehow too. Those new toll lanes barely did anything.

[@busterhosen1867]

​@@Languille there's been a LOT of research on urban freeways over the years, and the conclusions have been that the negatives nearly always outweigh the positives. Seattle already has 4, more than most cities. There should be fewer, not more. www.google.com/search?q=are+urban+freeways+good

[@NickCBax]

LETS JUST PAVE EVERYTHING! /s

[@waytoobiased]

unfortunately, studies show that would just increase the amount of people using the freeways, and five years on it's just clogged up again :/ cars do many things well, but they are very bad at transporting tens of thousands of people along particular routes

[@NickCBax]

@@waytoobiased Five years is a generous amount of time for a new lane of freeway to get clogged up.. Its usually much shorter.