Netherlands made a historic mistake

In the early 1970s, Utrecht, Netherlands made a historic mistake.

As part of the city’s development, its 900-year-old moat was concreted over to make way for a 12-lane motorway.

But in 1998, a restoration project began to restore the canal back to its former natural glory and cut down the amount of cars on the city’s roads.

In December 2015, the motorway was replaced with a new canal that runs under an indoor shopping center and allows boats to travel the full 6 km route around the city center.

In 2020, the canal was restored and opened to the public, allowing boats to circle the old center of the city once more.