<Moscow mayor proposes building roads on the roofs of buildings>

Moscow - The project of building urban roads on the roofs of buildings has been labeled exotic and controversial by Moscow experts. Nevertheless, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has already ordered the development of a pilot plan for the construction of such a road, and this ambitious project could begin construction next year.
    The Russian metropolis has been dealing with a severe overload problem on its roads and boulevards in recent years. Expanding the existing streets - especially in the center - is almost impossible, so architects are looking for alternative solutions. The German company StrassenHaus has come up with a proposal to build roads on the roofs of buildings. Moscow has been chosen as the very first city where this experiment should take place.
    The German company proposes the construction of low, four- to five-story buildings, which would house warehouses, offices, and garages. At a height of 13 to 15 meters, a three-lane toll road would run along the connected roofs. Below, at the level of the top floor, engineering networks and a tunnel carrying wagons with tonnage loads would be placed.
    The German firm commits that the entire construction would be financed from its resources. However, it would rent out administrative and warehouse spaces, profit from paid parking lots, which it also intends to establish on the roofs, and from the rental of advertising spaces on the walls of buildings. According to StrassenHaus President Roland Lipp, the construction of one square meter would cost about 1600 dollars. However, he did not specify how much renting the spaces, tolls, or parking fees would cost.
    The Moscow authorities have already proposed that the project be tested in the area around the Warsaw Highway, one of the largest streets in Moscow. "We view this project as exotic. Traffic jams in Moscow will not be solved by this; it can only be realized locally, in certain urban areas," quoted the newspaper Kommersant chief Moscow designer Yuri Korotkov. He stated that squeezing new "road-houses" into the current system of urban development and highways would be very difficult.
    Developers are also shaking their heads at the project. "In Moscow, the construction of Class A office space costs one thousand to 1500 dollars per square meter, which is still cheaper than what the Germans are offering," said developer Maxim Zhulikov. According to him, there are people in Moscow who do not care where their office is located - underground or under a road - but such people are limited in number. "It cannot be said that Moscow is already so built up that 'road-houses' need to be constructed," he added.
    Moscow's mayor is quite well-known for his unusual projects, which, however, do not always come to fruition. As early as 1992, Luzhkov proposed to build a racetrack in Moscow for Formula 1 racing; it has still not been realized. Ten years ago, he wanted to replace Moscow's taxis with London cabs. However, due to high car prices, the project failed. Among Luzhkov's latest initiatives is the Moscow Air Taxi program, which was ultimately rejected because the air taxi drivers would have to seek approval from the Ministry of Defense for every flight over Moscow.