Underpasses

[bluespottedhors]

Is there any development on an underpass because all the mods to date are overpasses? People are uploading their mods and calling them an underpass when they are simply bridges with a road underneath! An underpass goes under a road or rail that runs at ground level. I think it's cheaper for a municipality to build an underpass rather than a bridge over something because it only requires digging underneath with a short bridge required for the street level crossing.

 

[Evie HJ]

That would basically be a tunnel, and the game doesn't have those (yet).

THAT SAID...you can just grab the terraforming mod. Then bulldoze the area where you want to build an underpass, use the lower ground tool to create an indentation, run your road or whatever through it, and then connect back the road above - you may need to tweak the terrain some, but if you do it right the road will form a same-level bridge.

 

[slornie]

I think it's cheaper for a municipality to build an underpass rather than a bridge over something because it only requires digging underneath with a short bridge required for the street level crossing.

I'd have thought an underpass would cost an awful lot more than a bridge. First you've got to physically dig out and dispose of many tonnes of earth, including the approach ramps down, then put in all the appropriate drainage to ensure it doesn't flood, and then still build a form of bridge over the top.

 

[JerkyJerry]

Full Definition of UNDERPASS
: a crossing of a highway and another way (as a road or railroad) at different levels; also : the lower level of such a crossing

Examples of UNDERPASS

1. We stood on the bridge and looked down at the underpass.

 

[bluespottedhors]

I'd have thought an underpass would cost an awful lot more than a bridge. First you've got to physically dig out and dispose of many tonnes of earth, including the approach ramps down, then put in all the appropriate drainage to ensure it doesn't flood, and then still build a form of bridge over the top.

Everything to do with building requires a physical action. The earth goes into other projects, berms, landfills etc. Sewers/drainage are part of all road systems whether you have a bridge or a road at grade. The most expensive part of road building are bridges, thus the longer the bridge the higher the cost. In addition, bridges require regular maintenance to insure they are safe to go over. That's why municipalities choose underpasses over a bridge.

 

[bluespottedhors]

Full Definition of UNDERPASS
: a crossing of a highway and another way (as a road or railroad) at different levels; also : the lower level of such a crossing

Examples of UNDERPASS

1. We stood on the bridge and looked down at the underpass.

To clarify: If a road or rail or path is at ground level and another road goes over top then this is called an overpass . If the road goes below ground underneath another road at ground level this is an underpass. The only similarity between the two types of roads are they both have bridges. Until said time that we invent levitating cars, bridges are still required : )

 

[Evie HJ]

jerkyjerry, we're all amazed at your ability to quote dictionaries (the meriam-webster, I believe), but I suggest you take a look at other dictionaries definitions, and take in consideration the term "Overpass". In short, the underpass definition you quoted is pretty much the broadest you will find in any dictionary, and end up conflating overpass and underpass into a single term where pretty much every other dictionary define them as opposites.

But if one looks at the definition of overpass on Meriam-webster and any other dictionary, then it becomes clear that if you INCREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass over another road (which remains at ground level), then you have an overpass. If you DECREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass under another road (which remains at the same level it used to be), then it's an underpass.

 

[bluespottedhors]

jerkyjerry, we're all amazed at your ability to quote dictionaries (the meriam-webster, I believe), but I suggest you take a look at other dictionaries definitions, and take in consideration the term "Overpass". In short, the underpass definition you quoted is pretty much the broadest you will find in any dictionary, and end up conflating overpass and underpass into a single term where pretty much every other dictionary define them as opposites.

But if one looks at the definition of overpass on Meriam-webster and any other dictionary, then it becomes clear that if you INCREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass over another road (which remains at ground level), then you have an overpass. If you DECREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass under another road (which remains at the same level it used to be), then it's an underpass.

I think your definition is the most clear...although we are saying the same thing - I couldn't have said it better! TY. I think what people forget is a road built below ground level is what constitutes an underpass in North or South America. It might be called something else in Europe or Britain though.

 

[Evie HJ]

Yeah, you hadn't posted yet when I began writing my post, and we're both saying the same thing.

 

[CaesarVincens]

Underpasses in addition to tunnels would be a very nice feature for the tunnel release. At the least, very short tunnels could emulate underpasses.

As to definition, I think it is important to note that some may want to exclude the 'at grade' way from any term (over- or under-pass) and only label the way that has a changed grade. Others will want to label both ways, naturally as the complementary over- and under-passes. Neither way is technically better, except in terms of what is the official status according to local regulations/civil engineers, etc.

 

[JerkyJerry]

Hey I learned something!
TY Guillaume HJ

 

[TheDeamon]

jerkyjerry, we're all amazed at your ability to quote dictionaries (the meriam-webster, I believe), but I suggest you take a look at other dictionaries definitions, and take in consideration the term "Overpass". In short, the underpass definition you quoted is pretty much the broadest you will find in any dictionary, and end up conflating overpass and underpass into a single term where pretty much every other dictionary define them as opposites.

But if one looks at the definition of overpass on Meriam-webster and any other dictionary, then it becomes clear that if you INCREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass over another road (which remains at ground level), then you have an overpass. If you DECREASE the elevation of a road to allow it to pass under another road (which remains at the same level it used to be), then it's an underpass.

Huh. Strange. I think you're both picking nits here. If you "raise" a regular surface street so that it passes over something, a railroad grade, highway, etc. It is an overpass as far as that road(the one being raised) is concerned. However, it will be an underpass for the surface feature that is now passing under the raised roadway. The definitions, you'll find will vary wildly from area to area.

California DOT for example, seems to decide Over/Underpass status depending on where the "most significant" roadway grade currently is(not to be confused with where it may have been in the past), and what the initial grade was has little evident bearing on the naming used unless you're dealing with "Equally ranked" highways(such as two Interstate highways). So in California, if you have Maple Street passing under an elevated Interstate 5 for example, it would be the "Maple Street Underpass" so far as California DOT is concerned because it passes under Interstate 5, even though it was Interstate 5 that was obviously raised above its original road grade to grade separate them. If Maple Street instead goes over Interstate 5, then it obviously becomes an Overpass as it goes over Interstate 5. (Of course, to be fair to CalTrans, they actually label them as being UC or OC respectively, so I'd presume UC=Under Carriage and OC = Over Carriage, so they technically aren't even using Underpass/Overpass, but they are expressing the same sentiment)

Personally, I'd be inclined to say over/underpass status depends on which road remains closest to the original roadway grading, and where the other road crosses it(going over or under), but I think you're going to be hard pressed to find that standard, or any other, rigorously applied just about anywhere.

 

[bluespottedhors]

I don't think it's that complicated at all. It's simply a road that is dug to go underneath another road, rail, or even a waterway that is running at ground level would be an underpass. I'll throw something else into the mix to confuse everyone even more : ). In the city I used to live in they had an underpass that went under a rail yard but it was a tunnel. Confused yet kiddies!

 

[bluespottedhors]

Has any one tried using the Terraform Tools Mod to create underpasses/sunken roads?

The Terraform tool will create Sunken roads similar to SC4 tools. A tunnel is a different kind of animal and can't be terraformed.

 

[Evie HJ]

No, but once you have a sunken road you can, in fact, draw another road that passes above it (ie, an underpass)

 

[City Builder]

Huh. Strange. I think you're both picking nits here. If you "raise" a regular surface street so that it passes over something, a railroad grade, highway, etc. It is an overpass as far as that road(the one being raised) is concerned. However, it will be an underpass for the surface feature that is now passing under the raised roadway. The definitions, you'll find will vary wildly from area to area.

California DOT for example, seems to decide Over/Underpass status depending on where the "most significant" roadway grade currently is(not to be confused with where it may have been in the past), and what the initial grade was has little evident bearing on the naming used unless you're dealing with "Equally ranked" highways(such as two Interstate highways). So in California, if you have Maple Street passing under an elevated Interstate 5 for example, it would be the "Maple Street Underpass" so far as California DOT is concerned because it passes under Interstate 5, even though it was Interstate 5 that was obviously raised above its original road grade to grade separate them. If Maple Street instead goes over Interstate 5, then it obviously becomes an Overpass as it goes over Interstate 5. (Of course, to be fair to CalTrans, they actually label them as being UC or OC respectively, so I'd presume UC=Under Carriage and OC = Over Carriage, so they technically aren't even using Underpass/Overpass, but they are expressing the same sentiment)

Personally, I'd be inclined to say over/underpass status depends on which road remains closest to the original roadway grading, and where the other road crosses it(going over or under), but I think you're going to be hard pressed to find that standard, or any other, rigorously applied just about anywhere.

I've always wondered this.

I live in California and used to go through this OC/UC daily, but what is it, an OC or a UC I wonder...

Both roads are equally busy, one is Hollywood Way and the other San Fernando Rd.

If I were to turn around from the street view of what I'm linking below, you would see that the level of both Hollywood Way and San Fernando Rd are about equal, but I'm guessing that they dug down to avoid having traffic jam up right here.

I wasn't around when these roads were built, but if I had to guess, I'd say that what the area where the overpass looking road is (san fernando rd) was a rolling hill that SF Rd passed over and when Hollywood Way came along it would have sloped up to SF Rd, but instead they decided to dig down under SF Rd to avoid a intersection there. I only base this on the surrounding terrain that seems to naturally slope up to where San Fernando Rd runs through.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/3000 N San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91504/@34.204704,-118.348675,3a,90y,93.26t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPW01HQmHQVzYsfmUSrqFwg!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c29501313e40f1:0x60ab45e2d77110a1