Interstate 95 in New York

Infobox road
state=NY
type=I
route=95

---

length_mi=23.50
length_round=2
length_ref= [ [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.htm Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1] ]
established=
direction_a=South
starting_terminus=Jct|state=NJ|I|95|US|1-9 in Ft. Lee, NJ
junction=Jct|state=NY|I|87 in the Bronx
Jct|state=NY|I|278|I|678|I|295Bruckner Interchange
direction_b=North
ending_terminus=Jct|state=CT|I|95 in Greenwich, CT
previous_type=NY
previous_route=94
next_type=NY
next_route=95

Interstate 95, the major Interstate Highway along the East Coast of the United States, runs 23.50 miles (37.82 km) in the state of New York. It begins at the George Washington Bridge, crossing the Hudson River from New Jersey into New York City. After running across upper Manhattan on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, it continues east across the Harlem River on the Alexander Hamilton Bridge and onto the Cross-Bronx Expressway. In the Bronx, I-95 leaves the Cross-Bronx at the Bruckner Interchange, joining the Bruckner Expressway to its end. It then continues northeast on the New England Thruway out of New York City into Westchester County and to the Connecticut state line, where I-95 continues on the Connecticut Turnpike.

Through New York, Interstate 95 is statutorily defined as Interstate Route Connection 511 in New York City and Interstate Route 501 in Westchester County. [cite web| url=http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAWS+&QUERYDATA=$$HAY340-A$$@TXHAY0340-A+&LIST=LAW+&BROWSER=24884763+&TOKEN=38521156+&TARGET=VIEW | title=Highway Law § 340-A | work=Laws of New York | accessdate=2007-01-06]

Route description

George Washington Bridge

Interstate 95 crosses the Hudson River from New Jersey on the George Washington Bridge, as a concurrency with U.S. Route 1/9. The bridge carries two levels of roadway and carries I-95 onto the Trans-Manhattan Expressway

Trans-Manhattan Expressway

The Trans Manhattan Expressway uses a dual-dual setup (GW Bridge upper level, inner roadways; lower level, outer roadways) with all ramps towards the bridge splitting for access to each level. The first interchange in New York is a complicated one with NY 9A (Henry Hudson Parkway). Access is also provided to the frontage roads - 178th Street and 179th Street - to the east, providing access for buses to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and for all vehicles to Broadway. US 9 takes these ramps, heading north on Broadway towards Albany.

East of the Henry Hudson Parkway interchange, I-95 runs east across Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan via the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, which lies in a trench between 178th and 179th Streets. Near its east end, portions of the older 178th Street and 179th Street Tunnels still exist, now closed. West of Broadway, the Expressway passes under the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal; several blocks east of Broadway are covered by apartment buildings built over the trench of the Trans-Manhattan Expressway. After crossing under Amsterdam Avenue, I-95 reaches its second and last interchange in Manhattan, providing access only to and from the south (compass west). Direct ramps run from I-95 to the Harlem River Drive towards the south, as well as to the Washington Bridge over the Harlem River into the Bronx; ramps are also present to connect to Amsterdam Avenue. (Traffic between Amsterdam Avenue and the north on I-95 can cross the Washington Bridge for access to I-95 in the Bronx.) The inner and outer lanes merge right before the Alexander Hamilton Bridge.

Alexander Hamilton Bridge

The Alexander Hamilton Bridge takes I-95 (and US 1) across the Harlem River just south of the Washington Bridge (not to be confused with the George Washington Bridge). A full interchange is provided with Interstate 87 (the Major Deegan Expressway) just after crossing the bridge, and ramps to and from the Washington Bridge are included in that interchange, where the Cross-Bronx Expressway begins its run east across the Bronx.

Cross Bronx Expressway

After the interchange with I-87, Interstate 95 transitions to the Cross Bronx Expressway. US 1 leaves the Cross-Bronx Expressway at the Webster Avenue interchange, and the Expressway continues east as only I-95. Interstate 895 (the Sheridan Expressway) runs south to Interstate 278, pointing towards the Triboro Bridge. Just after is the interchange with the Bronx River Parkway, and then soon comes the huge Bruckner Interchange. At that interchange, the lanes of the Cross Bronx Expressway split for the Bruckner Expressway (Interstate 278) to come in between, and the Hutchinson River Parkway (Interstate 678 to the south) interchanges with both roads. I-95 switches to the Bruckner Expressway, which continues northeast from the interchange, and the Cross-Bronx continues southeast towards the Throgs Neck Bridge as Interstate 295.

In recent years, the Cross-Bronx has had posted exit numbers both sequentially and with mile-based numbers. Almost all of New York's exit numbers are sequential (see below).

Bruckner Expressway

At the Bruckner Interchange, Interstate 95 switches to the Bruckner Expressway. The Bruckner Expressway soon turns north as it merges with the Throgs Neck Expressway (Interstate 695). At the Bronx and Pelham Parkway, the Bruckner becomes the New England Thruway.

New England Thruway

At the Bronx and Pelham Parkway interchange, Interstate 95 becomes the New England Thruway, which is part of the New York State Thruway system. I-95 then crosses the Hutchinson River Parkway once, curves gently to the northeast, and crosses the Hutch again before exiting New York City into Westchester County. The New England Thruway passes through New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye and Port Chester, ending at the Connecticut state line, where the Connecticut Turnpike continues as I-95. The only toll on the New England Thruway is a northbound-only barrier in New Rochelle. In Rye and Port Chester, just shy of the state line, Interstate 287 (the Cross-Westchester Expressway) ends at I-95.

History

Interstate 95 was designated in the late 1950s, and has always run along its current path in New York. The majority of it had already been built, with the final sections - parts of the Cross-Bronx Expressway and Bruckner Expressway - finished in 1963 and 1972 respectively. Prior to the 1972 completion of the Bruckner, coinciding with the completion of the new Bruckner Interchange, the old Bruckner Boulevard (part of Route 164) was used by through traffic.

I-95 was one of only a few roads in New York to use mile-based exit numbers. The exits on the New England Thruway were originally sequential, beginning at 1 at its south end - but were at some point renumbered to continue where the mile-based numbers left off, while remaining sequential. In the early 2000s , the numbers on the free section were slowly changed to new sequential numbers; the numbers on the New England Thruway section have not been changed.

Exit list

Auxiliary routes

*Interstate 295 runs southeast from the Bruckner Interchange along the Cross-Bronx Expressway, then south over the Throgs Neck Bridge and Clearview Expressway to its terminus at Hillside Avenue, just south of the Grand Central Parkway. It was once part of Interstate 78 and was planned to terminate at the John F. Kennedy International Airport.
*Interstate 495 runs from Interstate 278 east along the Long Island Expressway to Riverhead, crossing I-295 in Queens. It was once planned to continue west to I-95 in New Jersey; that part is now New York Route 495 and New Jersey Route 495. It was also to go east and meet I-95 again in either Connecticut or in Rhode Island. This would have made I-495 a loop off of its parent.
*Interstate 695 is a short route along the Throgs Neck Expressway, connecting I-295 to I-95 in the Bronx. It is officially part of I-295, and was once part of I-78, but is signed as I-695. The number had been used for other plans, including a route parallel to Woodhaven Boulevard and an upgrade of the West Side Highway and Henry Hudson Parkway.
*Interstate 895 is a short connection along the Sheridan Expressway from Interstate 278 to I-95 in the Bronx. It was planned to continue north from I-95 to rejoin it near Pelham Bay Park.

References