For years, there's been talk about burying the elevated section of the West Side Highway underground, but one architect thinks there's another way to get rid of the eyesore: beautify it with vines and waterfalls. Laurence Tamaccio, who lives near the roadway, proposes covering the highway's pillars with vine-filled trellis from 61st to 72nd Streets and turning the disused ramps from the old infrastructure into waterfalls. NY Press reports that the neighborhood community board supports the project, aptly named "Vine Line," noting that they've not heard any other proposals to make it less ugly.
The CB chair added that he's only heard support for keeping the road elevated, as park of Riverside Park South has been constructed beneath it. Tamaccio believes that post-Sandy the city is unlikely to revisit the idea of burying the highway considering the extensive flooding that all tunnels in the city suffered. Tamaccio's plan also includes building greywater filtration systems to help with stormwater runoff and creating an elevated cafe. Most people quoted in the article seem to like the idea, but at least one guy thinks it's a bad plan because it would draw more attention to the structure.
· Local Architect Has 'Vine Line' Vision for West Side Highway [NY Press]
· Vine Line: Architect Wants to Blanket West Side Highway in Leafy Trellises and Waterfalls [InhabitatNYC]
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