Opinion: An Olympic effort to cover the 101 Freeway with a park?

The LA24 bid book released Tuesday raised many questions about Los Angeles’ proposal to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Where will the money come from to get the city ready for the Games? Is the projected revenue realistic? Will taxpayers get stuck holding a big bill at the end?

Also this: What happened to the 101 Freeway?

Perhaps that last one is not the most pressing of questions in the days before the City Council prepares to vote to authorize the mayor to compete for the ’24 Games. But the 101’s mysterious absence in the artist’s rendering of how the Civic Center might display Olympic sponsors’ ads is perplexing.

Instead of the below-grade (in more ways than one) freeway streaming between La Placita Olvera and City Hall, there are trees and grass and enormous pedestrian plazas hung with banners and flags. It’s hard to tell, but there might be some fountains, sculptures and benches there too. But no cars, not even electric ones.

This could only mean one thing: The mayor plans to cap the 101 through downtown L.A. and top it with a park before 2024. Right?

Well, not really. Before anyone gets their hopes up (sorry, Friends of Park 101), I’m told that the bid book artist took a bit of license there.

Doesn’t mean we have to stop dreaming though.

Follow me on Twitter @marielgarzaLAT