South end: I-278 in Hunts Point Length 2.08 km | North end: I-95 in West Farms Constructed 1962 | |
History: Completed in 1963 as I-278; renumbered to I-895 on January 1, 1970 | ||
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 1963 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.
Contents
Map of I-895, Bronx, NY, USA
Route description
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.
History
In 1941, the New York City Planning Department and city planner Robert Moses 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. The route was originally named the Bronx River Expressway. Following the death of Arthur V. Sheridan, in August 1952 Bronx borough president James J. Lyons proposed renaming the planned highway after Sheridan. The law enacting the name change was signed by mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri on February 18, 1953. Construction began in 1958. The highway was built parallel to the Bronx River on the former site of the Starlight Park amusement park, which was condemned to provide the right-of-way for both the Sheridan and Cross Bronx Expressways. As part of the project, a city park also called Starlight Park was created in its place. An additional park, Daniel Boone Playground, was also created on land condemned for the expressway. The $9.5 million expressway was opened to traffic on February 6, 1963.
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 1963. 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.
The Sheridan Expressway was originally planned to extend northeast to the New England Thruway (I-95) in Eastchester just north of Co-op City, creating a shortcut toward New England and a direct route to New England from the Triborough Bridge. The extension would have been built along Boston Road (U.S. Route 1) through Bronx Park and northeast bronx. The project, like other Robert Moses highways, faced increasing community opposition and was cancelled by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1971, one year before its projected completion. 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.
Future
The 2017 New York State budget includes $97 million for decommissioning the Sheridan Expressway as recommended by the New York City Council and New York City Department of Transportation.
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) proposed expanding the highway in 1997. 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.
In August 2008 the alternative community plan was under consideration by NYSDOT. The plan gained momentum in July 2010; however, the state opposed the plan to demolish the highway, citing a study showing that local traffic would be worsened. On June 11, 2012, the Daily News reported that the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also opposed to the removal. 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".
Exit list
The entire route is in the New York City borough of The Bronx. All exits are unnumbered.