Highway revolts (also freeway revolts, expressway revolts, or road protests) are organized protests against the planning or construction of highways, freeways, expressways, and other civil engineering projects that prioritize motor vehicle traffic over pedestrian movement or other considerations.
Freeway revolts first took place in developed countries during the 1960s and 1970s, in response to plans for the construction of new freeways, as advocated for by the highway lobby. Some highways were abandoned or scaled back due to widespread public opposition, especially in neighborhoods that would be disrupted or displaced by the proposed freeways, and by those opposed to freeways' other negative effects. Freeway revolts have gained renewed interest in the 21st century, with activists pushing to bury highways underground or remove freeways from cities to repair the damage to neighborhoods displaced by highway construction in the 20th century.
