Entry 15 - Sky's the Limit
Heya there! Against all odds Amesbury has actually passed 200.000 inhabitants! The BRT has been called off due to massive cost overruns in other sectors - so let's see what's actually new in Amesbury!
Overview from the south. The town has quite grown and some villages are now very close to being swallowed in suburbia, such as Groverby. Got to admit I love the way that highway (motorway M1) weaves into the city! Depending on development, it might also need one new exit.
However, those highways have not been refurbished yet, and noise is one of the major complaints of residents who live near major roads. There is construction underway though, so hopefully they can very soon enjoy a more quiet scenery.
The skyline of Amesbury is now, well, quite towering in the landscape. There are two new towers though!
Garland Park was built over a few blocks and cost the municipality quite a few million Septims to clear. Skyward Tower (to the right) and Garland Tower share parking lots and an amazing new park in the middle of town.
The County Council, as well as airline company Aeromiao, have set up their HQs in this tower.
Skyward Tower offers an amazing view of town from its panoramic restaurant. It also doubles as the new TV antenna.
Let's take a look at the older downtown. Oh no! The Guildhall had to be destroyed after a fire three years ago. The municipal council had promised to rebuild, but nowadays it is still vacant, abandoned land.
Streets in the downtown area do feel narrow, though, so maybe a park would be a wiser option. Doesn't this corner look more open now?
Many backalleys cross the downtown area, though, giving some people more options to drive around town. Many are being closed as buildings become ever bigger, putting unnecessary strain on the main roads.
A freight train rolls through the new Amesbury Station. It has been completely rebuilt, too! Four new tracks under a shiny roof make for very happy commuters and more tourism!
A bus heads for the depot after the busy morning rush. Articulated buses are becoming more common on some city lines, such as Line 70.
The station platforms are so much bigger now too. Here's the 15:23 Intercity service to Glendale departing the station.
Opposite, on platform 4, a Regional train to Lorsdale and Wittenburg waits for the all clear signal.
The approach to the station has been completely reworked, too, with a brand new skyway above the tracks.
The old bridge that carried Septim Bvld has been destroyed and replaced by a brand new tunnel which dives under the tracks.
The tunnel does look more seamless and integrates nicely in the urban landscape. Besides, now the tracks run above, it allows for more greenery! Who doesn't like greenery! Hayfeverish greenery! SOMEONE BURN DOWN ALL THOSE TREES. 
Ahem...A brand new station board greets passengers. It is much easier to know when your train is going and you can find out as soon as you're out of the bus. All trains are shown, even those on the Blue Line.
The bridge in Amityville has seen new development, too! They're planning a skybridge between the two new towers of the Amityville Complex. Under the bridge already they put a common terrace. Perfect for conventions! #SkylinesCon145 #TotesGoingThere #WhereIsTheBallpit
Here's a view of the Mall looking east. Can you spot the little church hidden amongst the giant glass scrapers? 
Buildings aren't so much tall as they are packed together, making for very narrow streets and a general sense of being overwhelmed for some walking on the streets.
But hey, there are a few wider streets, too! Here's a northbound Line 12 bus driving on College Street. Every year around Spring, College Street is closed for Amesbury Pride, followed closely by the Amery County Fair that takes hold on most of the length of the street. In July, the whole area is also locked down for Graduation Day, during which a massive city-wide festival is held. This is a bid to increase the town's reputation as a university town, but critics note more university buildings need to be built in the first place...
Plans have been made to convert a massive number of roads into one-way streets but residents and workers alike aren't convinced.
The motorway can be seen in the background, along with a street that goes sleepy in the evening sun. There isn't much activity in downtown Amesbury in the evening - though some areas such as Amityville are known for their nightlife, especially now soft drugs are legalized...until the LLAMA association manages to overturn the bill, anyway.
The biggest development in Amesbury occured in the south - as the towns of Burthope and Lakeside were selected for massive urban development. The result : 20.000 more residents and a new airport.
East Humberlands Airport (ECA) was built to relieve congestion at the Regional Airport and accommodate bigger jets. It also was named in order to attrack more traffic from the general East Humberlands area. However, it has been left partially completed because of massive cost overruns that nearly sank the city budget in the red (It's over five million Septim...and quite a lot more in USD). At such, its advertised second runway, cargo and satellite terminals have never been built, but space has been bought and reserved for future building.
The new airport does not have a motorway connection - as this would have cost even more. However it does have a connection to the Blue Line, which was expanded to serve the new communities and the airport. Works are underway to better link the airport with the rest of the road network however - mostly through Groby Road, which needs to be built deep into the Highlands Industrial District and meet up with the turnpike.
Mainline trains also call at the EC Airport, mostly Intercity services to New Wellingborough.
New bridges were built to link the Burthope area with the rest of the town. Now there are three road crossings : the Dam, the Groby Avenue bridge and the Brownstone Bridge to the north, which already existed before and was massively overhauled.
Groby Avenue is the only 2x2 road in this area of town, and leads directly to the airport. However, people complain as the road ends in the middle of the Industrial area, which is constantly gridlocked.
At such, many drivers choose to turn south or north on Burthope Road to avoid the Highlands area. Mostly south, though - north of the junction, as in here, it's pretty quiet...
Burthope is served by a new station, Aspen Park on the Blue Line. There are two more tracks which for now are just garage tracks, however the city council wants to build a commuter railway system sometime in the future.
Most of the new trackwork is no-frills though : level crossings are very common with little in the way of bridges or tunnels. This will probably be the case of the upcoming railways!
Finally, a view of downtown seen from high up..I do like those highways, as much as I want to start a Big Dig sort of project...
And finally, a map with new bus connections and the Blue Line expansion! The BRT isn't in the works anymore (I really drowned my city in the red with that airport lol, and since I max out services it means even with high taxes it's hard to break even - I wish money was harder to make) but the Hickory Circle station is still shown in construction, so there probably are some extra plans for it..Find out soon!
Thanks for reading, I should be able to post more updates from now on too Hope you enjoy
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