Advertisement

L.A.’s forgotten freeways

Many of L.A.’s freeways were built during the 1960s, but a combination of a freeway revolt, skyrocketing costs and a failure to increase the gas tax doomed the expansion of the freeway system after the 1970s.

Share

Los Angeles' vast freeway system is incomplete — at least by the standards of its architects. In the 1940s, freeways were sketched through Santa Monica Boulevard, along Melrose, Highland and La Brea avenues, and near the Griffith Observatory. Many of L.A.'s freeways were built during the 1960s, but a combination of a freeway revolt, skyrocketing costs and a failure to increase the gas tax doomed the expansion of the freeway system during the 1970s. Read more about L.A.'s forgotten freeways »

Touch the map to hide the forgotten freeways.

West side detail

Sources: Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, Automobile Club of Southern California, Los Angeles Metropolitan Parkway Engineering Committee, Metro Library

Advertisement