Freeways Never Built, or Unbuilt after 1989 quake
Primary Source
This is an excerpt from a 2-hour interview, part of the Shaping San Francisco "Ecology Emerges" oral history collection, with long-time San Francisco environmental writer Harold Gilliam (conducted by Chris Carlsson). In this short clip he tells how he was lured to Washington DC to work for the Stewart Udall Interior Dept. under LBJ, where he was able to help derail plans to run a northern Bay Bridge from apx. Telegraph Hill to Angel Island to a new freeway up the Tiburon Peninsula. Below are images and proposed routes for this never-built bridge.
Thanks to Eric Fischer for making these images, and many more, all in high resolution, available at his flickr account.
Proposed Central Freeway along 7th Avenue, 1956
The deconstruction of the Embarcadero Freeway, 1990
Photo: Chris Carlsson
Demolition of Embarcadero Freeway.
Photo: Michael Kiesling via Facebook
Demolition of Embarcadero Freeway, July 1991.
Photo: OpenSFHistory.org wnp72.16966d
Embarcadero Freeway early 1960s, before highrises made it to the edge the City.
Photo: Shaping San Francisco
In 1959, the idea that freeways could relieve traffic was still somewhat plausible, before every local highway was jammed with traffic within a few years.
Photo: courtesy Mike Fusello via Facebook
Freeway hides historic ferry building in this 1985 photo until its demolition in 1990.
Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA
Embarcadero Freeway at apx. Clay Street, Ferry Building hidden at center left, c. 1969.
Photo: © Chuck Gould, all rights reserved.
Freeway stump of Interstate-280 where it originally ended construction at 3rd Street near King. Later it was torn down to accommodate the Mission Bay plans and the new Giants stadium just east of this spot.
Photo: Gabriel Patrick Navarra via Facebook
In the 1940s the California Dept. of Highways came up with various plans to blanket San Francisco with freeways. This is a version proposed in 1948 by San Francisco's Planning Department.
Thanks to Eric Fischer for making this map, and many more, all in high resolution, available at his flickr account.
Early 1960s fantasy of new bridge adjacent to the then-brand new Candlestick Park.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Plans for Panhandle Freeway.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
1948 vision of easterly view towards Fillmore between Fell and Oak.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Route of proposed Panhandle freeway.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
1966 recommended routes for Panhandle and Golden Gate freeways, after they had been defeated twice in previous years.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Golden Gate Freeway alternative F using St. Francis Yacht Harbor breakwater.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Sunset-Golden Gate Park freeway plans.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Richmond-Golden Gate park freeway plans.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
The 7th Avenue/Lincoln Avenue interchange for the Crosstown Freeway where it would have met the Sunset-Golden Gate Park Freeway!
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
More of the same interchange.
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
One route proposed for the freeway through (under) Golden Gate Park.
Image courtesy Tim Drescher
Panhandle/Golden Gate Park Freeway route plan on aerial photo.
Image courtesy Tim Drescher
Freeway interachange at Fell and Oak Streets, if plans had ever been approved.
Image courtesy Tim Drescher
1950 plan to flatten Yerba Buena Island to serve as a hub for multiple bridge/freeways to intersect there in mid-bay!
Image: courtesy Eric Fischer
Maps and photos of San Francisco's original freeway plans
images and maps of many San Francisco freeways that were never built and some that were