Interstate 295 (I-295) is an

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

within

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Measuring 9.10 miles (14.6 km) in length, I-295 originates at Hillside Avenue ( New York State Route 25 or NY 25) in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, running north across Queens and over the tolled

Throgs Neck Bridge The Throgs Neck Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City, carrying six lanes of Interstate 295 (I-295) over the East River where it meets the Long Island Sound. The bridge connects the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx with the Bay Ter ...

, to Bruckner Interchange, a junction with

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

I-278 Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New York ...

I-678 Interstate 678 (I-678) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through two boroughs of New York City. The route begins at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Jamaica Bay and travels north through Queens and ...

, and the

Hutchinson River Parkway The Hutchinson River Parkway (known colloquially as The Hutch) is a north–south parkway in southern New York in the United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

. From south to north, I-295 intersects the Grand Central Parkway, I-495 (the

Long Island Expressway Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music me ...

), and the

Cross Island Parkway The Cross Island Parkway is a parkway in New York City, part of the Belt System running along the perimeter of the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. The Cross Island Parkway runs from the Whitestone Expressway (Interstate 678 or I-678) in ...

in Queens before crossing the Throgs Neck Bridge and splitting with I-695 (Throgs Neck Expressway). In Queens, I-295 is also known as the Clearview Expressway. The entirety of I-295 was proposed in 1955 as a part of

I-78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

. Construction started in 1957, and the highway opened in 1963 with the I-78 designation. Originally, plans called for I-78 to be extended southeastward from

Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects the New York City neighborhood of Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Author ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

to NY 878 (the Nassau Expressway) in Queens, before curving north to meet the Clearview Expressway. These plans were canceled in 1970, at which point the highway between NY 25 in Queens and I-95 in the Bronx was redesignated as I-295. I-295 was originally planned to continue further south to

JFK Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the New ...

. The JFK Expressway, constructed in the 1980s, was intended to be part of I-295, but was constructed only as far north as the

Belt Parkway The Belt Parkway is the name given to a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Belt Parkway comprises three of the four parkways in what is known as ...

Route description

The existing section of the Clearview Expressway that carries the I-295 designation begins at the unfinished interchange with NY 25 where the ramps from northbound

NY 24 New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The highway is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from an interchange with In ...

(212th Street) and southbound Hollis Court Boulevard merge into the northbound and southbound lanes, respectively, of the highway. The Queens section of this roadway is known as "The 77th Infantry Division Expressway". The Queens expressway instantly runs beneath a

stack interchange A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...

with the Grand Central Parkway before immediately entering Cunningham Park. The Clearview leaves Cunningham Park at the interchange with

(now I-495). Shortly north of the I-495 interchange, the northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp at NY 25A split, then run under a pedestrian bridge that connects 46th Avenue. Other pedestrian bridges cross over the highway near 42nd Avenue and at 33rd Avenue. The northbound exit 5 uses 206th Street as a de facto service road, while 207th Street is used in the same way for the northbound on-ramps. Real service roads run beneath the Port Washington Branch of the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. With an average week ...

to connect NY 25A and 35th Avenue (exit 6A). The service roads merge into the expressway north of 26th Avenue (exit 6B). The northbound partial interchange with Willets Point & Bell Boulevards leads to

, while a southbound interchange leads to the southbound Cross Island Parkway, all before reaching the

. The expressway then crosses the bridge. After the Throgs Neck toll booth in the Bronx, I-295 becomes part of the

Cross Bronx Expressway The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is mainly designated as part of Interstate 95 (I-95), but also includes portions of I-295 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The Cross Bronx begins ...

Extension. Just north of the toll booth is northbound access to Harding Avenue and Pennyfield Avenue. The exit is right next to the Y-interchange with I-695 ( Throgs Neck Expressway), which takes motorists to northbound

. The only other interchange between there and the terminus is Randall Avenue. I-295, running northwest, gains service roads for a mile until it finally ends at its parent route at the Bruckner Interchange, but only includes access to southbound I-95, and

History

Planning

The Clearview Expressway and Cross Bronx Expressway Extension were proposed in 1955 by the

Port Authority In Canada and the United States, a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority_for_a_special-purpose_district.html" ;"title="110. - 6910./ref> is a type of Nonprofit organization">nonprof ...

and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) as part of the Port Authority's Joint Study of Arterial Facilities, in order to connect with the planned

. The Cross Bronx extension was planned to connect the bridge to several highways at the Bruckner Circle (now the Bruckner Interchange), while the Clearview was intended to connect with Horace Harding Boulevard (later the Long Island Expressway) in order to serve motorists from Long Island. 30 years of progress, 1934-1964 - Clearview Expressway

30 years of progress, 1934-1964 - Clearview Expressway

Initially, the Clearview was intended to run along the existing right-of-ways of

Utopia Parkway ''Utopia Parkway'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne. It was released by Atlantic Records in April 1999. Background The album was written by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger with the intention of em ...

and Francis Lewis Boulevard. An alternate proposed routing would have run along Little Neck Bay and through Alley Pond Park, essentially parallel to the

. By September 1956, the Clearview was mapped along 206th and 207th Streets and Hollis Court Boulevard, east of Francis Lewis Boulevard, after community opposition. The reroute reduced the number of properties to be demolished or relocated from 860 to 421. An information center was set up by the TBTA for local residents displaced by the expressway. The planning of the Clearview Expressway route by

Robert Moses Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid 20th century. Despite never being elected to any office, Moses is regarded ...

is documented in

Robert Caro Robert Allan Caro (born October 30, 1935) is an American journalist and author known for his biographies of United States political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson. After working for many years as a reporter, Caro wrote '' The Power ...

's biography of Moses, ''

The Power Broker ''The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York'' is a 1974 biography of Robert Moses by Robert Caro. The book focuses on the creation and use of power in New York local and state politics, as witnessed through Moses' use of unelecte ...

''. A passage describes Moses and TBTA officials surveying potential routes for the highway in Queens, accidentally coming across protesters against the expressway. Caro writes that rather than being deterred by the protests, Moses "laughed and laughed" according to one aide's account.

Construction and opening

Construction on the Clearview Expressway and Throgs Neck Bridge began in September 1957. As part of the project, land was taken from Clearview Park, the defunct Bayside Golf Course, and Cunningham Park. Meanwhile, hundreds of homes were physically relocated from the path of the expressway. Many of these houses were placed in planned communities built on the sites of the Bayside Golf Course, and the Oakland Country Club in Oakland Gardens. The Cross Bronx extension, the Throgs Neck Bridge, and the portion of the Clearview Expressway north of 73rd Avenue in

were opened on January 11, 1961. An extension of the Clearview south to Hillside Avenue (now NY 25) was opened to traffic on August 12, 1963. It was the first of several highways built to serve the

1964 New York World's Fair The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or ...

. Because of the steep hill at the end of the expressway leading to Hillside Avenue, the junction quickly became a frequent spot for accidents. This led to the implementation of a speed limit at the end of the highway, which remains in effect. This section of the route is a notorious speed trap. The modern Bruckner Interchange was opened on January 4, 1972.

Post-opening

The Cross Bronx Expressway Extension and the Clearview Expressway were originally designated as part of

, which was to continue south from Hillside Avenue through Southeast Queens, and west across Queens,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, and

to the

. Under these plans, the Clearview would have been extended south to NY 27 ( Conduit Avenue) and the

, or to the

Nassau Expressway Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 * Nassau Street (Winnipeg) ...

and

Rockaway Boulevard Rockaway Boulevard is a major road in the New York City borough of Queens. Unlike the similarly named Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Rockaway Freeway, it serves mainland Queens and does not enter the Rockaways. Route description It begins as an u ...

, in Laurelton near

. Later plans had the Clearview ending farther east, intersecting with the Belt Parkway at its interchange with the

Southern State Parkway The Southern State Parkway (also known as the Southern State or Southern Parkway; abbreviated as SO on signage) is a limited-access highway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. The parkway begins at an interchange with the Belt and ...

. A 1968 proposal from the Regional Plan Association had the Clearview extension running southeast along 212th Street/Hollis Court Boulevard and Hempstead Avenue, then south along the right-of-ways of the Cross Island and Belt Parkways before ending at the Nassau Expressway. Ultimately, nearly all sections of I-78 between the Holland Tunnel and Hillside Avenue, including the

Lower Manhattan Expressway Interstate 78 (I-78) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Union Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, to New York City. In the US state of New York, I-78 extends . The entirety of I-78 consists of the Holland Tunn ...

, Bushwick Expressway, and the Clearview extension were cancelled by Governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

in 1971. The only portion to be constructed was the short section of the Nassau Expressway near

. This resulted in the renumbering of all of I-78 north of Hillside Avenue to I-295 on January 1, 1970. There have been proposals during the 21st century to extend the Clearview south to feed into the JFK Expressway via a tunnel. The JFK Expressway had been built as part of a costly overhaul of the JFK Airport that began in the late 1980s. The JFK Expressway south of the

and 150th Street was completed around 1986, and it was fully completed by 1991. In February 2003, the Clearview Expressway was renamed "The 77th Infantry Division Expressway". The name honors the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

77th Infantry Division 77th Division or 75th Infantry Division may refer to: * 77th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht), Germany * 77th Infantry Division of Khurasan, Iran * 77th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) * 77th Division (People's Republic of China) * 77th Division ( ...

of World War I and World War II fame. Raised from draftees from New York City and Long Island, the 77th was also known as the Statue of Liberty Division, due to its shoulder-sleeve insignia.

Exit list

References

External links

I-295 on Kurumi.com

nycroads.com Clearview Expressway(I-295) info

I-295 (Greater New York Roads)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 95-2 (New York) 95-2 New York 95-2 Expressways in New York City Transportation in Queens, New York Transportation in the Bronx *295 2 New York Unfinished buildings and structures in the United States 1963 establishments in New York City