Cross-Westchester Expressway

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Cross Westchester Expressway
Length: 11.33 mi (18.23 km)
Formed: 1960
West end: I-87/I-287 (Thruway) in Greenburgh
Major
junctions:		 Sprain Brook in Elmsford
I-684 in Harrison
Hutchinson in Harrison
East end: I-95 in Rye
Numbered highways in New York
Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference

The Cross Westchester Expressway is the name given to the part of Interstate 287 which runs from the Interstate 87/287 interchange (Map) in the town of Greenburgh to I-287's eastern terminus at Interstate 95 near the Rye-Port Chester boundary. It is operated and maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority.

Contents

[edit] History

An east-west link across Westchester County had been on the agenda for county planners since the late 1920s. When the already-in-progress solution for this problem, the Central Westchester Parkway, was still only partially constructed by mid-century, it was realized that a commercial vehicle-friendly route should be considered.

When the Tappan Zee Bridge was proposed around 1950, the Cross Westchester Expressway was becoming a better idea. The bridge would carry the expressway over the river to allow motorists to take advantage of north-south artierials on either side.

Construction of the freeway began in 1956, and was given the NY-119 designation. The design of the highway met Interstate highway standards after opening, and was given the I-187 designation, then later I-287. At a cost of $50 million, the Cross Westchester Expressway was opened December, 1960.

In the 1960's Robert Moses proposed the construction of a bridge from the highway's terminus in Rye across Long Island Sound to Oyster Bay, where it would link up with Long Island's New York State Route 135 expressway. Due to environmental opposition, in 1973 Governor Nelson Rockefeller abandoned this proposed link to the regional transportation system.

[edit] Route description

Heading east from Interstate 87, I-287 meets state routes 9A and 119, the Sprain Brook Parkway, Interstate 684, then the Hutchinson River Parkway. After heading under US-1, the Cross Westchester Expressway and I-287 end at the New England Thruway (I-95).

[edit] Exit list

The entire route is in Westchester County.

Location Mile # Destinations Notes
I-287 west continues onto I-87/New York State Thruway north
Greenburgh 19.78 (8) I-87/Thruway south - New York City
Elmsford 20.55 1 NY 119 (Tarrytown Road) - Elmsford, Tarrytown Westbound exit only. Eastbound exit is signed as exit 8A of I-87/Thruway.
Access to Saw Mill Parkway north via NY 119 east.
21.23 2 NY 9A (Saw Mill River Road) - Elmsford, Ardsley Westbound exit only.
3N-S Sprain Brook Parkway - New York, Albany Sprain Pkwy north only accessible from I-287 west.
East-to-north traffic: use the Saw Mill (at exit 1) to the Taconic.
22.20 4 NY 100A (Knollwood Road) - Hartsdale
Greenburgh 23.01 5 NY 100/NY 119 (Tarrytown Road) - Hawthorne, White Plains No entrance ramps. Westbound: NY 119 accessed via NY 100.
Access to Bronx River Parkway.
White Plains 24.10 6 NY 22 (North Broadway) - White Plains, Scarsdale Access to Bronx River Parkway.
7 Central Westchester Parkway To Taconic State Pkwy - Valhalla Westbound exit and estbound entrance only.
White Plains-Harrison line 25.43 8W-E Westchester Avenue To NY 119/NY 127 To Westchester Mall Place
26.69 9A I-684 north - Brewster
Harrison 27.87 9S-N Hutchinson River Pkwy - Whitestone Bridge, Merritt Parkway Westchester Avenue acts as a collector/distributor road.
28.57 10 NY 120/NY 120A - Rye, Port Chester Signed westbound as Bowman Avenue and Webb Avenue.
Rye-Port Chester line 30.67 11 US 1 (Boston Post Road) - Rye, Port Chester Eastbound exit only.
Rye 12 I-95 south - New York
I-287 merges onto I-95 north towards the Connecticut Turnpike

[edit] External links