After witnessing the major highway that runs right through Italy's historic city of Genoa, a disappointed Redditor shared an aerial shot of the road.
"The highway bridge that blatantly cuts off the whole historic city center of Genoa, Italy from the sea," wrote the Redditor who shared the photo.
Redditors who had also visited Genoa shared their disappointment at the city's massive highway.
"Was there earlier this year. Absolutely hated it," wrote one user. "It's not a place I'm planning to ever revisit."
"The road is not the only terrible monstrosity isolating the city from the sea, the (freight) harbor does this as well," commented another Redditor.
Across the globe, locals and tourists have expressed their frustration at poor highway placement. Overdevelopment has caused cities around the world to construct highways in the middle of beautiful historical places, disappointing residents and visitors.Â
Highway expansions are also problematic for the environment, as they lead to more pollution. The more cars and trucks on the road, the more harmful, planet-warming gases enter the atmosphere.
Contrary to popular belief, expanding highways does not always decrease the amount of traffic in an area, either. In fact, the New York Times found that while adding lanes can temporarily ease road congestion, it does not completely rid areas of their traffic problem. Instead, it only exacerbates the amount of pollution in the region.
While highways are necessary to support a region's transportation needs, it's also important for city developers to consider an area's history. When a city's historical and cultural significance are considered, developers can better establish ways for infrastructure projects to coexist with the existing layout rather than intruding on it.
Redditors continued to discuss the unfortunate highway location.
"I witnessed a similar transformation in Seattle. The waterfront still has scars from the elevated highway that was once there," responded one user.
"You can walk in a street with gorgeous Genoese palaces, then after the next corner, you come across a monstrous highway and garbage all over the place," wrote another Redditor.
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