Mizter T wrote on 24 February 2014 23:59:55 ...

On 23/02/2014 17:44, Richard J. wrote:
[...]
In the centre of Paris, there is a one-way road on the right bank, the
Voie Georges Pompidou. It's at towpath level, several metres below the
riverside streets that adjoin it. When the river is high, which happens
at some time in most winters, the road becomes part of the Seine (and is
closed before that happens). In fact it's only a part-time road for
vehicles anyway, as it's reserved for pedestrians and cyclists on
Sundays, and for a month in July/August it's transformed into a beach
(complete with imported sand and palm trees).

As a bypass road:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...uv re_rwk.JPG

On a Sunday:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...aris%29_01.jpg


As a beach (Paris-Plage):
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/wor...1/08/plage.jpg

As a flood plain:
http://www.paris.fr/viewmultimediado...d=94791&role=2


I hadn't realised it routinely flooded.

Isn't there some thought of fully closing it to traffic, and turning it
into a pedestrian / cycle way?

Yes. The Voie Express on the left bank (or at least part of it) has been
reclaimed for pedestrians and cyclists, with some urban landscaping to
make it more attractive as a leisure destination (though the additional
features need to be removable when the river floods). The right bank
has also been partially opened up to pedestrians, necessitating several
light-controlled crossings on the Voie George-Pompidou.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)