Alpine City - a city stuck inside a steep valley with almost no space to expand - has been struggling to grow for years. In our past entries, we have seen Alpine City grow outwards bits by bits, developing forestry industry and tourism along the way, and eventually struck gold by opening up a large open mine. 

With the mine as the city's economic furnace, Alpine City can try out an expensive, risky, but also potentially rewarding project - by filling up an entire river and make space. 

The green highlighted area is a branch of Rosewood River down streams, sometimes named Magnolia River. After study, it was found feasible to close off Magnolia River without flooding the city. 
In our last entry, works to cut off Magnolia River has begun. After years of filling with soil and rocks, the area that was once the deep valley of Magnolia River has become a flat ground. The ground level is then further raised to match with the altitude of Nine Pines Heights and Magnolia Hills. This create a large retaining wall at the boundary of the reclamation. 

A small section of Magnolia River is retained, and is now used as the city's sewage outflow. The water has been filtered for as much as possible to avoid creating pollution down streams. 
This new area, now named Newgrounds, doubles the usable space for Alpine City. But before any new town is built, works has completed for the highway first. A new intersection is built north east of Magnolia Hills.

This would be part of the Phase 3 highway - the starting point of it to be exact. The highway goes underground from here. It then go around Nine Pines Heights, then pops out of the Rosewood River Valley. Due to the deep topography, the highway takes on a gigantic steel arch bridge design to reduce the number of columns.
The arch bridge's deck is at tens of meters high from Rosewood River, making it the tallest bridge in the city. The bridge is named Millennium Bridge for its prominent appearance. 

The Phase 3 highway is designed to go two-ways, fixing the one-way problem between Westdale and Magnolia Hills.

Hopefully the drivers could focus on the road and not turn their head around to enjoy the view. It is a loooong way down if they crashed and fell out of the bridge.

The Millennium Bridge is so high up, it is clearly visible from Rosewood. Now there are 3 arch bridges in a row along Rosewood River. 
The Phase 3 highway then go along the slope of the mountain above Cratercove, get underground again under Cratercove Mine, and ended in a 3-way intersection north of Diamond Valley. 

This intersection is designed to suit the narrow valley space. The inclined ramps makes for a interesting scene. 

Now the entire Alpine City is surrounded by a ring of highway. More highway exits is being considered, especially at Cratercove to relief the traffic pressure on the Main Bridge and The North Bridge. That we will take care of in the future.  

You may have noticed there are changes in Rosewood itself too. That's right - since we got a large piece of new land, the city council has decided to demolish the forestry industry area at Magnolia and redevelop it into a residential town, using it as a connection area between Rosewood and the future new town at Newgrounds. 
The first phase of this project involves modifying the north-east portion of the town of Rosewood, i.e. the blocks just outside the Rosewood City Hall. Several blocks are demolished into flat ground to make way for the new road grid. 

The original residents in these affected area aren't happy about the works. As compensation, a temporary new town is built at the river front of Newgrounds for the relocated citizens. Since these are temporary housing only, simple brick apartments are built, along with several parks and commercial space.

Notice that the Nine Pines Bridge is towering above the new temporary town. This portion of Newgrounds is not filled to the same level to Nine Pines and with a good reason - the train station. An elevated station is built in the middle of the temporary town for people to go to work at Rosewood just as before they are moved here. 

The railroad itself is mostly underground under Magnolia Hills, so there aren't much noise pollution generated. The city block directly in front of Rosewood City Hall has been converted into Rosewood Station. A new clock tower in installed right next to the station as part of the complex. 

There are significant changes in the outskirt of Rosewood to make way for Rosewood Station. Another city block of Rosewood is modified to suit the extended rail outside the station. Beautification work is made, ending up becoming a cherry blossom park adjacent to the station. 

This train station now serves the relocated citizens in Newgrounds, but there are also plans to keep it and somehow connect the railway all the way to Irindale in the future, but that's another story. For now, Rosewood Station is a old town style station which is designed to suit the old town architectural style. 

In contrast, the station, as well as the commercial buildings at Newgrounds temporary town, are built in modern style. 

Further away from the city center, a new dam is constructed at the far north of Rosewood River. it has risen the water level of Rosewood River by a little, but the water level is carefully controlled such that flooding will not occur. 
Generators will be installed in the dam to produce electricity, which will serve the new town at Newgrounds. 

There is a large complex built on top of the high portion of Newgrounds. It is the disaster response unit - a temporary team that deals with disasters and help to rebuild afterwards. There are concerns that building the dam will have unforeseeable adverse effects, so the response unit is formed to deal with emergency situations just in case. Luckily, so far their services is not needed.

There will be more updates for Newgrounds in the next entry. Stay tuned!