Social and Environmental Impacts: Edens Project

Abstract

The Edens Expressway project, one of the largest reconstruction projects involving an urban, high volume, Interstate freeway, required an indepth assessment of the various socioeconomic and environmental impacts from the construction and measures that could be taken to reduce any harm to the communities involved. The measures can be categorized into six basic areas: (1) Beneficial development from the freeway construction; (2) effective and meaningful public communication; (3) reduction of harm during construction; (4) conservation of energy and material resources; (5) improvements to the visual quality of the freeway; and (6) social and economic benefits. Many of the benefits and costs are intangible and indirect so that a tabulation in finite terms is difficult. The success of the Edens Expressway rehabilitation can be attributed to the time, detail, and planning that went into those problems affecting the communities directly impacted by the construction.