Southern California is in the middle of a major infrastructure transformation, from the world’s largest wildlife crossing taking shape over the 101 Freeway to new Metro subway extensions and bus rapid transit corridors. Now, Santa Monica is taking a fresh look at one of its busiest pieces of infrastructure, with a proposal that could eventually replace concrete with green space.
The City Council has unanimously accepted a $2 million federal grant to study whether a 25- to 30-acre park could be built over a section of Interstate 10 in the Pico Neighborhood. The feasibility study will also examine a much bolder possibility: removing that stretch of freeway altogether, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports.
What would the I-10 park project include?
The grant comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which funds projects designed to reconnect neighborhoods divided by major transportation infrastructure.
Rather than approving construction, the funding will pay for a multi-year feasibility study covering the section of the I-10 between 11th Street and 20th Street. The study area spans roughly 30 acres and will evaluate whether a “cap park” (a public park built above the freeway) could be engineered and which alternatives may be viable.
The analysis will also compare other options, including the complete removal of that portion of the freeway. Consultants are expected to begin work in spring 2027, with a final report due by July 2029.
A vision that’s been around since 1996
Although the federal grant marks an important milestone, the concept itself is far from new. The idea was first proposed in 1996 by then-Councilmember Michael Feinstein. At the time, the proposal was widely viewed as a “crazy” idea due to its enormous cost.
The concept resurfaced in 2010, when the city studied the possibility of capping the freeway, but estimated construction costs prevented the project from moving forward. The newly awarded federal funding is the first major investment dedicated to determining if the project is feasible.
