The Clearview Interchange (also known as the Long Island Expressway / Clearview Expressway Interchange) is a
highway interchange located in the
Bayside neighborhood of the borough of
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
Description
The interchange is a
windmill interchange, connecting two major,
controlled-access
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
expressways: the
Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) and the
Clearview Expressway (Interstate 295) – the latter highway being the interchange's namesake.
The frontage roads for the Long Island Expressway curve around the interchange, in order to accommodate its ramps.
The Long Island Expressway and its frontage roads travel above the Clearview Expressway, while the ramps connecting the two expressways travel above both the Long Island Expressway and its frontage roads.
Additionally, the Clearview Interchange forms the northern border of
Cunningham Park
Cunningham Park is a park in the New York City borough of Queens. The park lies between the Grand Central Parkway to the south and the Long Island Expressway, and is bifurcated by the Clearview Expressway. The park is operated by the New York Cit ...
.
History
The Clearview Interchange was planned 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. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influentia ...
when he planned the construction of the two highways through the area back in the 1950s.
Construction on the interchange commenced in January 1959, and it opened on the afternoon of August 12, 1960.
With the opening of the Clearview Interchange and the associated segment of the Long Island Expressway between Peck Avenue and 224th Street built as part of the project, the entirety of the Long Island Expressway within New York City was completed – along with the initial Interstate 495 designation for the highway (first designated in October 1958); the opening of the Long Island Expressway portion of the interchange closed a temporary, brief
highway gap between the completed segments in Queens.
While the Long Island Expressway portions of the interchange had been officially opened and placed into service in 1960, the rest of the interchange would open shortly thereafter, upon the opening of the Clearview Expressway (then designated as a segment of
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States that runs from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and North Jersey, terminating at the Holland Tunnel entra ...
) between the interchange and the
Throgs Neck Bridge
The Throgs Neck Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City, carrying six lanes of Interstate 295 (New York), Interstate 295 (I-295) over the East River where it meets the Long Island Sound. The bridge connects the Throggs Neck section of t ...
.
Upon opening the Clearview Interchange served as the eastern terminus of Interstate 495 – all portions of the expressway east of the interchange was designated as
New York State Route 24
New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west State highway (US), state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The highway is split into two segments; the longer western section extends from an I ...
, and then as New York State Route 495; the route east to
Riverhead retained this designation until 1985, when the Interstate 495 designation was extended east to Riverhead.
The interchange was renovated in the 2000s.
The $30 million project (equivalent to $ million in ), known as the Long Island Expressway / Clearview Expressway Interchange Improvement Project, commenced in May 2001 and was completed on August 31, 2003.
See also
*
Bruckner Interchange
The Bruckner Interchange is a complex interchange in the New York City borough of The Bronx in the United States. The junction connects four highways: the Bruckner, Cross Bronx, and Hutchinson River Expressways, and the Hutchinson River Parkwa ...
, another interchange serving Interstate 295, located at the Interstate's northern end in
The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
*
Kew Gardens Interchange
The Kew Gardens Interchange (also known as The Pretzel and The Maze) is a complex interchange between the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills and Briarwood and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the center of the New York City borough ...
, another interchange in Queens
References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline, Clearview Interchange
Bayside, Queens
Road interchanges in New York (state)
Highways in Queens, New York
Robert Moses projects