Illinois Mud to the Rescue

 

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake killed 42 people when the double-decker Cypress Freeway collapsed in Oakland, Calif. A remembrance park designed by landscape architect April Phillips at the site of the former freeway was recently dedicated to the victims upon its completion.

In October 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay area for 15 seconds causing the collapse of the double-decker Cypress Freeway, killing 42 people. The victims of the quake are being remembered with a park dedicated in their honor at the former site of the freeway.

In an area that was once known as a ?EUR??,,????'??no mans land,?EUR??,,????'?? redwood trees, flowers, benches, and a metal sculpture have transformed the landscape into a peaceful place for Bay area residents to enjoy.

For landscape architect April Phillips, whose previous projects include San Francisco?EUR??,,????'???s Union Square and San Jose?EUR??,,????'???s Santana Row, designing the park on a $500,000 budget was a challenge.

Phillips was able to add a new ?EUR??,,????'??green?EUR??,,????'?? drainage system using a layer of gravel underground to trap run-off water, install three-foot earthen berms that slope through the park, and saved a group of existing redwood trees by carefully trimming them to provide canopy in parts of the park.

A concrete wall inscribed with the words ?EUR??,,????'??15 Seconds?EUR??,,????'?? is visible to motorists driving by the park. A 35-foot metal sculpture called ?EUR??,,????'??the ladders?EUR??,,????'?? reaches into the sky, signifying the rescue efforts of emergency crews and volunteers. A series of quotations, which describe the earthquake and the aftermath, are etched into a concrete walkway.

?EUR??,,????'??This park honors the people who died as a result of the Cypress Freeway collapse and the heroic actions of the community in the minutes following the quake,?EUR??,,????'?? said Councilwoman Nancy Nadel. ?EUR??,,????'??The community has worked tirelessly with the design architects and city staff to make this historic project happen.?EUR??,,????'??

Source: San Francisco Chronicle