Ruined bridges - cities of the future

(Photo: theverge.com)

Energy-independent units with pedestrian zone on top and the view of the landscape of Calabria are awaiting either better days or investors.

Construction of the A3 highway in Italy commenced in the mid 1960s.

Today it is nearly 500 kilometers long and somewho connects Salerno and the south of Calabria.

However, despite the work spanning half a century, this road is, unfortunately, still unfinished.

This situation is mainly the result of corruption and neglect by the authorities that are destroying the entire region.

Four years ago Calabrian authorities invited proposals for solving the problem with the highway under construction.

The design that has been accepted is named "Vertical Villages".

This project is aimed at transforming numerous bridges and viaducts into cities that are energy-independent thanks to solar energy, the web portal theverge.com reports.

The top of the bridge would serve as a pedestrian walkway with a section cordoned off for cars.

Below, self-sustaining residences, shops, and leisure centers would be built into the bridges' support structures.

The only obstacle to the implementation of this project is the current economic powerlessness of the south of Italy.

Until the situation changes, it is hard to expect the implementation of this ambitious project to start.

However, nothing is impossible with rich investors.