After adding schools, an aquarium, the Grand Library and the Colossal Order offices last time, Westfield gives up on its car-free district: a bridge across the river and a new highway connection bring instant traffic, so roads become four-lane tram avenues and a messy crossing is rebuilt. The Theatre of Wonders, a School of Medicine and School of Law follow, and placing the Hadron Collider makes buildings upgrade en masse — Westfield passes 200,000.
What happens in this episode
Last time, schools were the focus, because elementary and high school availability was too low for businesses to find educated workers. The aquarium, the Grand Library and the Colossal Order offices went in too, on the way to the Hadron Collider. You may have wondered why the stadium has a parking lot in a district with almost no cars. That was a hint at what comes next.
How it was built
A bridge across the river
I thought about it a lot and decided the district needs a bridge. Traffic has to flow between it and the old town. The moment it opened, the first cars crossed, ambulances took the new route through the forest, and within a few game days the roads were packed. I didn’t expect it to be that much. The forest details, like fallen trees, look really natural.
Four-lane tram avenues
Roads leading to the bridge were upgraded to four lanes with tram tracks, which cost some homes. A few buildings were kept in place with Move It. Lane rules and yield signs went in, and a missing heating connection was fixed with a heating station. One crossing was a total mess and had to be rebuilt from scratch, without Anarchy this time. Some pedestrian crossings went to keep cars moving. One-way roads might have been better here; tips welcome.
Highway access
The district now gets a highway entrance and exit with a small roundabout and two-way connections. It’s not perfectly laid out, but the traffic over there vanished. The stadium parking lot finally has a purpose.
New landmarks
The city park reached level 2. The Posh Mall and Theatre of Wonders went in, and the campus was extended for a School of Medicine and a School of Law, with trees moved out of the way. A park fence was repaired so people walk through the park properly, and water pipes were relaid.
The Hadron Collider
After some searching in the menus, the Hadron Collider finally went down in a prominent spot. The effect was huge: residential buildings around it started upgrading massively, and people flocked to that part of town. Westfield passed 200,000. One more road became a three-lane one-way with lane rules, and Node Controller allowed lane changes in a safe spot. The Briar Rose forestry reached level 4. Office and commercial demand rose again.
Video chapters
- 00:00More schools and unique buildings
- 04:04A bridge ends the car-free district
- 08:37Four-lane tram avenues
- 12:53Lane rules and a heating fix
- 17:21Rebuilding a messy crossing
- 30:02A highway connection and roundabout
- 35:13Posh Mall and Theatre of Wonders
- 39:16School of Medicine and School of Law
- 49:09Park fences and water
- 54:13The Hadron Collider effect
- 58:40200,000 and more lane rules
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
What does the Hadron Collider do in Cities: Skylines?
It's a huge education boost. In Westfield, buildings in the area started upgrading massively right after placing it, and the city passed 200,000 citizens.
Can a district stay car-free?
It worked for a while with ferries, trams, metro and buses, but the district needed traffic to and from the old town, so it got a bridge and highway access.
What happens when you connect a new bridge?
Traffic floods in within a few game days. Upgrade the roads leading to it beforehand, ideally to four lanes, and set lane rules at the first crossings.