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SAN FRANCISCO -- Frightened by television scenes of the collapsed I-800 freeway bridge in Oakland after the recent earthquake, many people in San Francisco have begun calling for the demolition of the similarly designed and also quake-damaged Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco, sometimes referred to as the "lifeline to Chinatown."
The short freeway running along The City's waterfront, known as I-480, still stands but suffered structural damage which has rendered it unsafe. The freeway has been closed to traffic since the quake.
$15 Million Loss In 2 Weeks
The freeway's two final offramps empty onto Washington and Broadway streets, leading straight into Chinatown after traveling four blocks through the financial district. That traffic is crucial to Chinatown's economy, which depends heavily on tourism.
In just the first two weeks after the quake, Chinatown...