Many cities across the US have been undertaking projects to put "caps" or "lids" over large, noisy highways -- this process involves burying the road underground, creating a tunnel system, and having something much more natural on the surface, like a park or residential space. 

Minneapolis planners are more than flirting with the idea of "capping" a spot on 35W that spans from Downtown East to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods. This cap would create more than 17 acres of new land. 

Chicago, Seattle and San Diego have all successfully completed cap projects. This leads to new growth in the former motor causeway, leaving room for prosperity of parks, residential areas, and of course, commercial development (likely a huge way to gain back some of the cost of said project). 

But with such a large undertaking, how much would something like this cost? As of now, the planners have no real estimates as they are in the very early stages of mapping out the potential project. 

While the benefits could be numerous, will they outweigh the expensive price tag attached to this massive project?

Photo by: Matthew Deery