Transforming noisy roads into peaceful living spaces: this is the objective pursued by many Swiss cities. Some have already taken the plunge, like Zurich. Since this spring, a slab has covered 1.7 km of highway, in the city’s twelfth arrondissement. As a result, residents now enjoy the song of birds rather than the din of the thousands of cars that use this route every day. This ambitious project, carried out over twenty years, cost the city 450 million francs.
Despite these high costs, the results inspire other cities. In Fribourg, a similar project is progressing on the A12 with a coverage of 1.2 km, as reported by the “SRF”. The total cost is estimated at 227 million francs, but the investment promises to transform the area into a sustainable living space, with a park, housing and a neighborhood capable of accommodating 30,000 people.
Elsewhere in German-speaking Switzerland, identical initiatives are progressing. In Bern, a bypass tunnel is planned to divert motorway traffic by 2045, while in Aargau, a 1 km roof is planned. Some cities are already reaping the benefits of these projects. In St. Gallen, the Swiss Agricultural Show (OLMA) has erected a new hall above the motorway, and, west of Bern, the Westside shopping center now stands on a stretch covered in the highway since 2008.
