The Perimetral highway is one of the ghosts that inhabits downtown Rio. Inaugurated in 1960 by President Juscelino Kubitschek, and again in June of 1978 by General Ernesto Geisel during the military dictatorship, nowadays there are no plaques commemorating its former existence.
For 55 years, it cut the life of the city in half, ruining the features of a region of inestimable historical value, degrading the old Rio port, Imperial Palace, and Maua Square, and filling them with smoke and noise. Nicknamed the “behemoth,” its terrorizing form provided a direct link to Ave. Brasil, which cuts through 26 neighborhoods in the North and West Zones, two airports, and even the Rio-Niteroi bridge, unburdening the traffic of those who come from the North Zone, neighboring municipalities, and, mostly, downtown.
When it was demolished in 2015, it opened a grand clearing which later became the famous “Olympic Boulevard,” which was renovated for the 2016 Olympics.
The demolition of the Perimetral opened space for a revitalization of the port region, and also for gentrification, the process for the expulsion of the poorer inhabitants who can no longer pay to live in the region. Because of this, many old residents miss it. “We sat on the edge and stayed, looking at the view. It was peaceful,” says resident Jailson Lourenço da Costa.