Given the interest in the Port-Mann-Bridge-as-park idea, here’s one place that actually did it. From Treehugger:
When it comes to dilapidated railways being transformed into parks, New York City’s famous High Line tends to get all the credit. But its lesser known sister project is worth a visit as well. Two hours north of the Big Apple, pedestrians and cyclists have another unique place to go –
an old railroad bridge transformed into a park, over the Hudson River … the Walkway Over the Hudson
When the Poughkeepsie Bridge opened in 1889, it was the longest in North America and served as a key route for freight and passenger trains. By the time a fire destroyed the tracks in 1974, traffic had steeply declined, and the bridge was shut down.
In 1992, Walkway Over the Hudson was created to save the bridge from threatened demolition, and turn it into the pedestrian and cyclist park it is now. 1998, the bridge was deeded to the organization. The restoration process began in 2008, and the park opened in October 2009.
