Interstate 895 (New York)

Interstate 895
Arthur V. Sheridan Expressway
290x172px Map of the Bronx in New York City with I-895 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length:	1.29 mi (2.08 km)
History:	Completed in 1962 as I-278; renumbered to I-895 on January 1, 1970
Major junctions
South end:	I-278 in Hunts Point
North end:	I-95 in West Farms
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Numbered highways in New York Interstate U.S. N.Y. (former) Reference County ← NY 890 NY 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 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.

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.

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.

File:I895highwheel.JPG

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.

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. 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.

Future

The future of the Sheridan Expressway is uncertain. 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.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Hunts Point	0.00	0.00	I-278 west – Robert F. Kennedy Bridge	Exit 49 on I-278
	0.20	0.32	Bruckner Boulevard	Northbound entrance only
	0.61	0.98	Westchester Avenue – Hunts Point Market	No southbound entrance
West Farms	1.29	2.08	I-95 south – George Washington Bridge, Trenton, NJ	No northbound entrance; exit 4A on I-95
	1.40	2.25	West Farms Road	Southbound exit ramp in planning stages
	1.50	2.41	East 177th Street / East Tremont Avenue to I-95 north / Bronx River Parkway	At-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access       Unopened

See also

• New York Roads portal

External links

• Interstate 895 at New York Routes
• Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance A proposal to replace the Sheridan Expressway's 28-acre (110,000 m²) footprint with affordable housing, open space, and new economic development opportunities.