Underground Roads That Can Protect Against Traffic And Environmental Impact
Concept of underground roads that can protect against traffic & environmental impact
In 1863 the world 1st underground metropolitan railway was launched in an effort to reduce traffic on streets of London. Movement to build it became a tunnel under the River Thames 2 decades ago & soon became a center of attention 4 pedestrians & tourists.
Initially it consisted of underground tracks made in London that were dug a little below the surface and covered from above. But as technology advances iTrain engines run on electricity instead of steam & the underground lines deepen.
Londoners now feel a slight thrill under their feet because of vast network of tube lines that carry passengers from one place to another quickly & efficiently.
Brady Gert is a cultural geographer at University College Dublin. He is the author of Subterranean London a book about underground London.
He says it was very attractive to keep the infrastructure underground. People like things that go on in background. It gives the impression that everything is going perfectly. Almost everything about it is magical.
In addition to trains power lines cables & sewer lines there is another part of the infrastructure that many people want to go underground & that is roads.
Length of the road network worldwide is estimated at more than 64 million kilometers & is likely to increase further in developing countries.
As the world population grows people incomes increase & more & more people are able to own a car.
It is estimated that by the year 2040 the number of vehicles worldwide will reach 2 billion which will increase total level of traffic by more than 50%.
Traffic congestion is not only a waste of time American drivers spend an average of 54 hours a year in traffic but it is also harmful to the environment because it burns more fuel emits more carbon & There is noise pollution as well as air pollution.
Tesla founder Mr Elon Musk said in 2018 that traffic destroys soul it is like acid for the soul.
He expressed these views while addressing a function of his tunneling firm Bourning Company.
Ultimately there something I can do to get rid of this traffic problem Elon said. Dig for better highways & make roads underground.
No 1 including Elon Musk suggested that every highway in the world be buried.
But what if we moved them all underground?
At a time when urban areas are growing imbalances are growing& there is an environmental crisis the perception of its effects can raise important questions about how the global transport system is evolving.
If there are no roads in the world the immediate effect will be that there will be a lot of space in the whole world.
In rural areas this could mean that more land becomes available for cultivation or becomes more like natural landscapes helping to increase wildlife & help release carbon from the air.
It will also solve 1 of the major problems with roads which is the division of land by road.
Highways are an obstacle for animals separating the species from each other or keeping them away from their prey.
The survival of some of the world most endangered animals is at stake as a result of global road expansion.
Bears & tigers are most endangered species according to a recent study. Carbon emissions are also rising because of this distribution. This is happening mostly on the edges of forests where tree mortality is high.
Alyssa Coffin an environmental researcher with United State U.S. Department of Agriculture says the road also affects water flow.
She describes the Namiami Trail as a highway that connects Tampa and Miami & has had a devastating effect on evergreen trees as it has affected water flow.
This has led to an increase in forest fires & affected animals & trees.
Coffin says this is an example of how the highway was built without really thinking about what the impact would be. Fractures between animals & vehicles are also a big problem.
Sarah Perkins is a lecturer at Cardiff University. He is also coordinator of the ongoing project splitter here.
Project is a 10 year old citizen science research project that monitors how wildlife in the United Kingdom UK has died.
We get reports that 10,000 animals die every year says Sarah. But Perkins believes that's just a small part of the actual figure.
Some studies have shown that millions of animals die in highway accidents in Europe alone each year.
She says keeping roads underground will reduce the collision of animals & vehicles as long as the animals don't use the tunnels.
She says it will not use light & noise nor will animals be exposed to bright light that could affect animal behavior around highways.
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