Interstate 895 (New York)

Infobox road
state=NY
type=I
route=895
alternate_name=Sheridan Expressway
maint=NYSDOT
length_mi=1.12
length_round=2
length_ref= [ [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table2.htm Route Log - Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2] ]
established=1962 [http://www.nycroads.com/roads/sheridan/]
direction_a=South
starting_terminus=Jct|state=NY|I|278 (Bruckner Expressway)
junction=
direction_b=North
ending_terminus=Jct|state=NY|I|95 (Cross Bronx Expressway)
previous_type=NY
previous_route=890
next_type=NY
next_route=961F

The Arthur V. Sheridan Expressway, also known as Interstate 895, 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 and received its current Interstate route designation in 1972. It was named for the Bronx Boro Commissioner of Public Works, who died in a motor car crash in 1952. [ [http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=11693] ]

Route description

Interstate 895 begins at Interchange 49 on Interstate 278, also known as the Bruckner Expressway, in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The 6-lane highway heads northward, parallelling the Bronx River and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor railroad tracks. There is a lone interchange, which is for Westchester Avenue, at convert|0.6|mi|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. [cite map|url=http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&lat=40.836062&lon=-73.880362&zoom=18&q1=40.82274%2C-73.886831&q2=40.838826%2C-73.878039|title=Overview map of I-895/Sheridan Expressway|publisher=Yahoo Maps|cartography=NAVTEQ|accessdate=2008-05-30]

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.

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. In 1972, the I-895 designation was redesignated on the Sheridan Expressway and has remained since then.

The Sheridan Expressway was originally planned to extend northeast to the Bruckner Expressway (I-95) at Co-op City, creating a shortcut towards New England. This extension was, however, cancelled. 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.Fact|date=May 2008

Decomissioning

The future of the Sheridan Expressway is uncertain. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) proposed expanding the highway in 1997. [cite web|title=The Bruckner-Sheridan Environmental Impact Statement|url=http://www.southbronxvision.org/brushe.html] The plan faced opposition rooted in claims of environmental justice from community groups such as the Sustainable South Bronx, which proposed an alternative calling for the river-front expressway to be replaced with affordable housing, schools and green space. [cite web|title=Sheridan Lands/Community Visions|url=http://www.southbronxvision.org/cvisions.html]

In August 2008 the alternative community plan was under consideration by NYSDOT. [cite web|title=One Less Reason to Keep the Sheridan Expressway|url=http://blog.tstc.org/2008/08/13/sheridan-expressway-continues-its-descent-to-obsolescence-this-time-with-the-dots-help/]

Exit list

References

External links

* [http://southbronxvision.org Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance] A proposal to replace the Sheridan Expressway's 28-acre footprint with affordable housing, open space, and new economic development opportunities.
* [http://www.nycroads.com/roads/sheridan/ Sheridan Expressway(I-895) at nycroads.com] .