Interstate 895 (New York)

Interstate 895 marker

Interstate 895
Arthur V. Sheridan Expressway

Map of Interstate 895 (New York)

Map of the Bronx in New York City with I-895 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length: 1.29 mi[1] (2.08 km)
History: Completed in 1962 as I-278;[2] renumbered to I-895 on January 1, 1970[3]
Major junctions
South end: I-278 in Hunts Point
North end: I-95 in West Farms
Highway system
← NY 890NY 961F →

Interstate 895 (I-895), named the Arthur V. Sheridan Expressway (and locally known as the Sheridan Expressway or just The Sheridan), is a short freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx, forming a short connecting link in the Interstate Highway System. Its south end is at a merge with the Bruckner Expressway (I-278) in the Hunts Point neighborhood, and its north end is at the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95), with a short continuation connecting with local West Farms streets. The highway opened to traffic in 1962[2] and received its current Interstate route designation in 1970. It was named for the Bronx Borough Commissioner of Public Works Arthur V. Sheridan, who died in a motor car crash in 1952.[4]

Route description

Overhead guide signs for the Sheridan on the Bruckner Expressway

I-895 begins at exit 49 on I-278, also known as the Bruckner Expressway, in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The 6-lane highway heads northward, paralleling the Bronx River and the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor railroad tracks. There is a lone interchange, which is for Westchester Avenue, at 0.6 miles (1.0 km) in. A frontage road begins to parallel the roadway until it terminates at a cul-de-sac in East Tremont. The Sheridan crosses over East 174th Street and officially ends at an interchange with the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95) in East Tremont. The roadway continues beyond the Cross Bronx as a short connector to local West Farms streets.[5]

History

In 1941, the New York City Planning Department proposed a short expressway route to connect the Bronx Crosstown Highway (now the Cross Bronx Expressway) and the Southern Boulevard Express Highway (now the Bruckner Expressway). The purpose was to have a commercial-vehicle friendly alternate to the Bronx River Parkway. Construction began in 1958 and in October 1962, the $9.5 million expressway was opened to traffic.

Bicycling on the Sheridan during Transportation Alternatives' 2007 "Tour de Bronx"

Over the years, the expressway has received a number of Interstate designations. It was originally designated as I-695 in late 1958. In early 1959, the highway designation was changed to I-895. Later that year, however, I-278 was rerouted to use the Sheridan Expressway. This was the designation of the highway when it opened in 1962. On January 1, 1970, I-278 was realigned to follow the Bruckner Expressway east to the Bruckner Interchange while the Sheridan Expressway was redesignated as I-895.[3]

The Sheridan Expressway was originally planned to extend northeast to the Bruckner Expressway (I-95) at Co-op City, creating a shortcut toward New England.[2] This extension was, however, cancelled.[2] Because of the cancellation of the extension, the Sheridan is locally seen as a useless stub, serving the same movements as the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) and Bronx River Parkway.[6][7]

Future

The future of the Sheridan Expressway is uncertain. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) proposed expanding the highway in 1997.[8] The plan faced opposition rooted in claims of environmental justice from community groups, which proposed an alternative calling for the river-front expressway to be replaced with affordable housing, schools and green space.[9]

In August 2008 the alternative community plan was under consideration by NYSDOT.[10] The plan gained momentum in July 2010;[7] however, the state opposed the plan to demolish the highway, citing a study showing that local traffic would be worsened.[11] On June 11, 2012, the Daily News reported that the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also opposed to the removal.[12] The dispute between the local community and the city and state governments has led to a stalemate, what the Daily News called a "crossroads" and "a road to nowhere".[13]

Exit list

The entire route is in the New York City borough of The Bronx. All exits are unnumbered.

Locationmi[1][14]kmDestinationsNotes
Hunts Point0.000.00 I-278 west – Robert F. Kennedy BridgeExit 49 on I-278
0.200.32Bruckner BoulevardNorthbound entrance only
0.610.98Westchester Avenue – Hunts Point MarketNo southbound entrance
West Farms1.292.08 I-95 south – George Washington Bridge, Trenton, NJNo northbound entrance; exit 4A on I-95
1.402.25West Farms RoadSouthbound exit ramp in planning stages
1.502.41 East 177th Street / East Tremont Avenue to I-95 north / Bronx River ParkwayAt-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. June 16, 2009. p. 247. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Steve. "Sheridan Expressway". NYCRoads. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  3. 1 2 State of New York Department of Transportation (January 1, 1970). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State (PDF). Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Sheridan Expressway – Historical Sign". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  5. ↑ Microsoft; Nokia (August 14, 2015). "overview map of I-895/Sheridan Expressway" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance Stand On Sheridan During Rush Hour" (PDF) (Press release). Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance. July 21, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Dolnick, Sam (July 12, 2010). "Plan to Remove Bronx Expressway Gains Traction". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  8. ↑ "The Bruckner–Sheridan Environmental Impact Statement". Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Sheridan Lands/Community Visions". Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  10. ↑ Wiswall, Kyle (August 13, 2008). "One Less Reason to Keep the Sheridan Expressway". Mobilizing the Region. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ Dolnick, Sam (July 13, 2010). "Local Traffic Would Worsen Without Sheridan, Study Shows". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  12. ↑ Deekman, Daniel (June 11, 2012). "Transportation officials nix Sheridan Expressway removal". Daily News (New York City). Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  13. ↑ Beekman, Daniel (July 20, 2010). "Sheridan at crossroads: Local advocates want expressway closed, but DOT warns of traffic snafus". Daily News (New York City). Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  14. ↑ Google (January 9, 2016). "Sheridan Expressway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 9, 2016.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 895 (New York).
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