In a move that is probably unique, the Netherlands city of Utrecht has torn up its ring highway and replaced it with a canal, restoring a waterway that had surrounded the city center from the 12th century until the 1950s.
The new canal is part of a master plan approved by residents in 2002, and which also includes the world’s largest bike park and redevelopment of the area around the train station for eco-friendly living.
The new canal opened Saturday with ceremonies, though limited in size because of Covid. In continuing work, the canal will be connected again to a branch of the Rhine river at Leiden, allowing renewed migration of fish.
Where the highway was. Photos by City of Utrecht
