West Side Elevated Highway, Former elevated highway in Manhattan, United States.
The West Side Elevated Highway was an elevated roadway along Manhattan's western edge, built with steel columns supporting the structure above the Hudson River. The six-lane facility featured industrial-style railings and connected Manhattan's traffic flow from north to south along the waterfront.
Construction began in 1929 to relieve traffic on West Street, which was called Death Avenue due to frequent collisions between trains and vehicles. The elevated roadway was meant to separate vehicular traffic from the dangerous ground-level crossing.
Photographer Jan Staller captured the abandoned structure through long-exposure photographs in the late 1970s, documenting its final years. His images show how the deteriorating roadway became a subject of artistic interest during its decline.
Visitors can explore remnants of the original site today, though only scattered structural pieces remain after its demolition through 1989. The waterfront area where it once stood is best explored on foot from the street level.
Despite its length, the roadway became functionally obsolete soon after completion in 1951 because tight exit ramps could not accommodate large trucks. In 1973, a single truck carrying asphalt broke through a concrete span, hastening the structure's final closure.
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