This one reminds me of the I-15 and CA 91 interchange that we saw earlier today. What’s striking is its graceful proportion and harmony.

Josh: "It has all the graceful curves of a woman, without the attitude!"

Jaime: "Except during rush hour!"

What is it about overpasses? In a way, this is the question that has driven today’s excursion.

Jaime: "It is a tribute to man’s conquest over nature; not only have we cleared away the jungle and made paths for ourselves through it, but we have stacked those paths and have begun to penetrate the heavens."

Josh: "That’s funny, I have a different take on the significance of the overpass. The romantic in me has always, at least to some degree, resented the destruction of the ‘wasteland’ for the sake of our cities. Perhaps, in the end, this is for the best (although I’m not willing to offer arguments for that claim here). However, what I’ve always appreciated about overpasses is that, despite their tremendous and even ominous presence, they have retained (unlike skyscrapers or other post-industrial artifacts) something of an organic and even vital character. It’s the sweeping curves which distinguish this form of construction from the towering and utterly non-organic boxes that in large constitute our landscape."

Jaime: "In a way, Josh, we are both saying the same thing. When I referenced man’s wonderful conquering of nature I said it tongue-in-cheek. I recognize that this construction constitutes a simultaneous destruction and obstruction of the natural landscape. However, whether one falls on the side of progress or conservation, it is indisputable that the overpass is an impressive achievement. One must recognize the overpass’s significance, even if it fails aesthetically or morally. To use a hyperbolic example, the atom bomb will be long remembered as a significant (though not necessarily positive) human achievement even by those who see it as a terrible invention."