The West Side Highway (officially Joe DiMaggio Highway ) is most of the surface of New York State Route 9A (NYA 9A) stretching from West 72nd Street along the Hudson River to the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City. It replaced the West Side Elevated Highway, built between 1929 and 1951, which closed in 1973 due to negligence and lack of maintenance, and was demolished in 1989. The term "West Side Highway" is often mistakenly used to enter the highway to the north. from 72nd Street, known as the Henry Hudson Parkway.
The current highway was completed in 2001, but requires some reconstruction due to ongoing damage in the 9/11 attacks. It uses surface roads that existed before the elevated elevated highway was built: West Street, Eleventh Avenue, and Twelfth Avenue. The short section of 12th Avenue still runs between 125th and 138th Streets, under the Riverside Drive Viaduct. Eleventh Avenue is a separate road north of 22nd Street. The section between West 42nd Street and Canal Street is part of the Lincoln Highway.
Video West Side Highway
Route description
This highway is an urban road six to eight lanes, with the northernmost part, from 59th Street to 72nd Street (where it becomes the Henry Hudson Parkway), elevated above the former rail field adjacent to the track still used by Amtrak. Trucks and buses are only allowed on the surface. The surface of the West Side Highway takes three names: West Street from Battery Park Underpass north to Tenth Avenue, then 11th Avenue to 22nd Street, and finally 12th Avenue to 59th Street.
West Street
The highway starts from Battery Park close to the mouth of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel where it also receives traffic from the southern end of Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive. From there, the route passes through the World Trade Center on Vesey Street. The route continues with this name past many docks along the Hudson River to Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District where it becomes Eleventh Avenue.
Eleventh Avenue
Eleventh Avenue begins just north of the intersection with Tenth Avenue. The highway coincides with Eleventh Avenue just north of this point, passing 14th Street Park on 14th Street. The highway continues with this name with Chelsea Piers until it reaches 22nd Street where the highway branches from Eleventh Avenue to Twelfth Avenue.
Twelfth Avenue
On 22nd Street, the highway continues like Twelfth Avenue passed by Chelsea Waterside Park. It passes west of the Javits Center from 34th Street to 38th Street and passes the Lincoln Tunnel on 39th Street. Walk past the Intrepid Sea, Water & amp; Space Museum and Piers 84 to 92, a main cruise terminal building. At 54th Street, 12th Avenue reaches a highway with a service road character, with service streets running as far as 59th Street. From there, Twelfth Avenue becomes taller and on 72nd Street, the highway becomes the Henry Hudson Parkway.
Maps West Side Highway
West Side Elevated Highway
Proposals were circulated in the 1920s to build a highway on the west side. Among the proposals:
- Rail/Highway Double DeckerÃ, - The New York Central Railroad proposes the construction of a double highway/highway lined from 72nd Street to Canal Street, which will be built privately at no cost to the city. This will remove 106 class crossings over 84 blocks. It became an opposition because of concerns that it would create a rail monopoly.
- Great Train Tenor/Car/Office/People Mover - Engineer John Hencken proposes an exotic ten-story complex with underground railroad tracks, street-level ramps, and man-built levers on top ten floors of apartments and offices. The highway will run on top of a ten storey building. A similar alternative is offered by Benjamin Battin.
Manhattan's central president, Julius Miller, says something must be done and eventually pushes the plan for the West Side Road, which will eventually bear its name. The proposal soon faced strong opposition. The City Club and New York City Mayor James J. Walker objected to the highway on the grounds that it would block the shipping traffic bound by the waterfront. At that time, West Street indicated "an avalanche of cargo and daily passengers in traffic", and "fortified by an unbroken line of warehouses and dock structures" blocking the view of not only the river, but even the vessels served, and the trade done on the dock and skid it is very important for the economic health of the city. They believe that plans must wait until surface railways are moved in the area, where high elevation points may not be necessary. Many objected that it would be ugly. Finally, in 1929, construction began, and the passage between Canal Street and West 72nd Street was completed in 1937, with the "Southern Extension" to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel completed in 1951.
Death Avenue
Before the West Side Highway was built, the road along the Hudson River was very busy, with significant traffic to the dock and ferry. On 22nd Street, most traffic continues north along 11th Avenue, where the West Side Side New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) runs; it is known by many as "Death Avenue" to many accidents caused by trains and cars colliding.
The first official proposal for elevated elevated highways along the western side of Manhattan was made by Police Commissioner Richard Edward Enright on January 12, 1924, in a letter to the New York City Estimate Council. The highway should be 100 feet (30 m) wide, walk north from Battery to 72nd Street on Riverside Drive, West End Avenue, or Amsterdam Avenue. According to Enright, "During the hours of work, West Street is the most crowded highway in town, and the large amount of municipal food is handled in an area adjacent to West Street." He called traffic jams as an additional cost for doing business and blockages for fire engines.
Packages for new highways
Two-way street/highway proposal
On February 2, 1925, it was announced that the railway would build a jointly elevated highway and a railroad (with a highway on the railroad) at a cost of $ 24 million at no cost to the city. At that time, Eleventh Avenue was known as "Death Avenue" because of the danger of surface lines. The elevated structure will eliminate 106 class crossings over 84 blocks. The proposal came after six months of negotiations between Manhattan Borough President Julius Miller and NYCRR. The planned highway will no longer go to the Battery, and ends on Canal Street, meeting the Holland Tunnel (which will open the traffic on 13 November 1927). The northern terminus is set at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. The ramp is planned on Canal Street, 23rd Street, Riverside Drive, and at least two other locations.
The Port of New York Authority opposes the plan, preferring a more forward-looking distribution plan. They attacked Miller while trying to push the plan without input from the Port Authority. The Port Authority wants an inland terminal system and belt rail line. According to the Chairman of Port Authority Julian Gregory, it is almost certain that NYCRR will not be in line with the Port Authority plan. It is also believed that granting elevated lanes of the NYCRR on the west side will allow trains to monopolize shipments and raise prices. The Port Authority believes it's primarily a delivery issue, but NYCRR and New York City regard it as a cross-class elimination project.
Miller responded by saying that something must be done immediately. He said that if the Port Authority can submit a comprehensive plan within five years, he will provide full support behind it. He also pointed out that his plan is only one part of a "comprehensive plan to eliminate traffic congestion"; he has widened many roads and moved some of the elevated Midtown train spurs. He said the plan would not give NYCRR whatever rights they do not yet have; it is just a relocation of existing tracks. The tracks have been on the surface for 55 years despite legal action against them, and Miller claims they will be there for another 50 if nothing is done. Miller also received a letter from NYCRR Vice President Ira Place, stating that trains will reduce freight costs if a new, higher structure is built.
Miller elevated highway single-deck
On January 20, 1926, the president of the Miller borough sent a plan for a $ 11 million elevated elevated highway to be built entirely on municipal property to the Board of Estimates. The elevated railway has been removed from the plan, because NYCRR has come up with a separate project to partially lift and depress their train (now known as High Line). According to Miller, there are questions about who will own and maintain a double structure. There is also an objection to the height of 40 feet (12 m) and its placement on the east building line from the existing road surface. The elevated elevated highway is to connect to the planned (now Henry Hudson Parkway) parkway on 72nd Street, forming a highway of traffic that stretches from Canal Street to 129th Street. The overpass should be 60 feet wide (18 m) wide enough for six lanes of traffic; the existing surface path will bring local traffic under the highway. The ramps will be provided on Canal Street, Christopher Street, 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street. The slow moving traffic will use the left lane, because of the left ramp. This contrasts with the current method of using the left path to get through and placing the ramps on the right side, and the popular method around the 1950s puts the ramp on which side is easier. The highway will "bring a bus that will make both comfort and beauty available to the general public", according to Miller. He suggested the Hudson River Boulevard to the name of the highway.
On April 24, 1925, Governor Al Smith signed a bill authorizing the construction of the highway. Funds for a $ 11 million highway should be obtained through property valuations along the route; this is considered reasonable because of the profits gained from the highway by those living along the route. The road should be 65 feet (20 m), five feet wider than Fifth Avenue, with a minimum speed limit of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), and would be 20 feet (6.1 m) from the ground. It will be built of steel, with a cement face. A three-foot sidewalk (1 m) will be built for pedestrians, although the highway is primarily intended for motor vehicles. Two long blocks of slopes will be provided with easy value for in and out of the highway. Trucks will be allowed on the highway.
The Board of Estimates approved the highway, now costing $ 13.5 million on June 14, 1926. It will be built so that the second deck can be added at a later time of approximately $ 9 million if traffic is guaranteed. The controller Charles W. Berry questioned the proposal until he realized the money would come from the tax assessment, at which point he agreed with the project.
On November 10, 1926, the Fund Audit Commission decided to give the city title to a seaside property along the proposed highway. The highway plan was linked to plans by the city for more docks for marine steamer; because the highway requires land acquisition between 47th Street and 51st Street, it is easier to combine projects and prevent additional costs.
On 17 February 1927, the Council of Estimates adopted the final plan for the highway, setting the date of the March 24 hearing. It's divided into two parts, Part one goes from Canal Street to 59th Street. Part two is to take the road on 60th Street Yard NYRR from 59th Street to 72nd Street. Part two was approved by the Council of Estimates on 16 August 1928; part one was postponed until 27 September due to objections. On October 18, the Board of Estimates approved the first section. The highway is advocated by most business interests, including the Downtown League, the Fifth Avenue Association, the West End Association, and eleven other organizations. They cite increasing traffic and the need for shortcut routes to support the highway, which will cost less than the benefits. Miller spoke at a meeting of the Association of Markets and Business Men from Greenwich and the Chelsea District on October 30, 1928, detailing plans for highways. It was announced that between 90 and 100 meat and poultry merchants in West Washington Market and Gansevoort Market will be evicted for toll roads.
Minor changes to the highway were approved on January 10, 1929, in response to several objections. The alignment in the Chelsea district was slightly modified to avoid the proposed dock, and the road through the market was reorganized to pass the corner of the property. In addition, 14th Street ramps are moved to the area between 19th Street and 23rd Street, where they will avoid many markets on 14th Street. In addition, the West Washington Market is no longer destroyed, and otherwise the highway will graze on the roofs of some shops.
Exotic alternatives
An alternative plan was put forward by John Hencken, an engineer, and approved by Ernest P. Goodrich, an engineering consultant for the New York Regional Plan and his Environs. A linear corridor will be built from Battery to Yonkers. A freight train will be underground. At ground level are roads along corridors and indoor covered walkways. Mezzanine, between the first and second floors, will be occupied by office space. The second floor will carry "mobile moving platform system for passenger service", with the adjacent belt moving at various speeds, for a maximum of 21 miles per hour (34 km/h) in the center. This service will be free, and will be a substitute for the new subway in the corridor. On the second floor there will be about ten floors of apartments, offices, businesses, and other uses appropriate for the environment; this will be the main source of income to pay for the project. A high-speed motorcycle parking, open to passenger cars only, will be located at the top. The car will reach the top level through ramps at both ends and lifts at convenient intervals.
Benjamin Battin, a professor at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, has a similar plan for an eight-story highway. The street level and first floor will connect to the Hudson River pier. The second and third stories will carry an electric passenger train, with the second floor carrying traffic to the north and traffic to the south using the third floor. A public garage will occupy the fourth and fifth floors, helping to pay off the bonds for the project. The six and seven floors will carry one-way passenger traffic, allowing speeds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). A recoverable road, taking the car in the direction of rush hour traffic, will occupy the eighth and ninth (top) levels. Ramps to the upper level of the car will be provided every 15-20 blocks.
Art Society object
The plan was criticized by Thomas Adams, director of the Association of Regional Plans, at the 1927 meeting of Urban Art Society. He does not approve of the ugliness and noise, and suggests just clearing the obstacle to the existing road surface to accelerate traffic. Adams instead supports a comprehensive regional plan for development in the Hudson Valley. The Fine Arts Federation also opposes the highway, saying that tall structures are unsightly, and if existing roads are cleared, new roadways may not be needed.
City Club and New York City Mayor, Jimmy Walker, object to the highway on the grounds that it will block sending traffic tied to the seaside. They believe that plans must wait until surface railways are moved in the area, where high elevation points may not be necessary. Parallel drawn with high passenger railway, which is being torn down at that moment; Henry Curran of the City Club called the high structure a "mismatch in New York". City Club also object to more passenger cars in downtown Manhattan.
Concerns were raised by the Women League for the Protection of Riverside Parks, which oppose the truck route through Riverside Park, which will load a parkway that extends from the northern end of the planned overpass. The league stressed that commercial traffic should be banned on north 72nd Street (since it is currently on the Henry Hudson Parkway).
Robert Moses's proposal
The elevated road began before Robert Moses came to the scene.
However, Moses built large projects stretching from the north and south end of the West Side Highway. Henry Hudson Parkway - The West Side Highway became Henry Hudson Parkway north of 72nd Street thanks to an attempt by Moses called "Western Side Repair." Parkway does not allow trucks. Parkway is partly an elevated elevated highway above the tracks (now used by Amtrak).
In the 1960s, Moses proposed straightening the West Side Highway, spreading the highway and Henry Hudson Parkway, and building both the Lower Expressway Manhattan and Mid-Manhattan Toll Road, connecting routes that would stretch across Manhattan. None of these projects has ever been built. Then, in his 80s, he opposed the Westway project, but by that time his power had been lost and his ideas were generally not taken seriously. Instead of building an interstate highway below the classroom, Moses proposed to straighten and rebuild the West Side Highway south of 59th Street. Between 59th and 72nd Streets, the location of the former Penn Central 60th Street base, he proposes to take the highway to the classroom and move it eastward to allow a seaside park and some housing on the southeast corner of the rail yard. This is the core idea that led to the Southern Riverside plan.
1973 collapse
The highway is out of date almost from scratch. The track is considered too narrow and can not accommodate trucks. A sharp "S" outbound proved dangerous, as did the left exit and entrance that made the merger dangerous.
On December 15, 1973, the northern path between Little West 12th Street and Gansevoort Street collapsed under the load of garbage trucks, carrying over 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg) of asphalt for ongoing roadway repairs. A four-door sedan followed the truck through the hole; no driver was seriously injured. The next day, both directions were 'unlimited' closed south 18th Street. Not only the oldest part is closed (between Canal Street and 18th Street), but the newest part is also (south of Canal Street), due to the placement of ramps to prevent north traffic from entering and traffic south from exit south of Canal Road. The next day, both directions closed infinitely south of 18th Street. It not only covers the oldest parts (between Canal Street and 18th Street), but also the latest parts (south of Canal Street), since the southern slopes of the collapse are only allowed north entrance and south exit. The northernmost exit to the north is on 23rd Street.
Westway
In 1971, Urban Development Corporation (UDC) proposed rebuilding the highway as Interstate 478. "Water Edge Studies" UDC called for a highway to be diverted on water at the end of a largely abandoned wharf in the Hudson River and the addition of hundreds of acres of intermediate concrete platforms bulkhead and pierhead lines for parks and apartments. The final plan, championed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Mayor John Lindsay, called for burying a six-lane road on a new 220-hectare TPA land south of 40th Street, putting the accompanying development on the ground instead of on the platform. It was renamed "Westway" in 1974.
Hugh Carey, who will be governor, and Ed Koch, who will be the mayor, both campaign against the plan by saying that it will be a waste of government funds and will be a failure for private developers. After the two were elected, they both reversed their position and supported the plan.
In 1981, the Transportation Department of President Ronald Reagan and the United States Armed Forces Engineer Corps were on board for development with a 1981 price tag of $ 2.1 billion.
But in 1982, Judge Thomas Griesa of the US District Court blocked the Corps permission, saying the road would damage striped bass. The order is affirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In August 1985, Judge Griesa ruled that state and federal agencies testified against streaked bass. At the same time, Congress moved to refuse the necessary funding for TPA.
On September 30, 1985, New York City officially surrendered to the project, allocating 60 percent of interstate toll fund funds for mass transit and setting aside $ 811 million for the "West Side Highway Replacement Project".
Corruption
The project ended up costing over US $ 4 billion. Judge Griesa stated that Westway supporters had colluded to cover up and retain the scientific evidence that damaged the project and had given false testimony. In 1984, a 119-page report was issued by the State Investigation Commission.
Donald Trump and Riverside South
In the 1970s, the debate raged on what to do with the elevated section of West 72nd Street and 59th Street. A Westway version will continue the buried highway to the George Washington Bridge, eliminating an elevated section between the streets 59 and 72, as well as the Henry Hudson Parkway. The option was rejected for cost and would therefore violate the Blumenthal Amendment, which prohibits any highway construction that would change Riverside Park. The New York State Department of Transportation rejected Robert Moses's proposal to move an elevated part to the class as well because of the Blumenthal Amendment and the negative effects that were perceived to be in development opportunities. Donald Trump, who had property options, confiscated Robert Moses's proposal as a way to improve his development plan, eliminating one of the DOT State objections, but his 12,000-unit housing proposal did not exist. So State DOT plans to renovate the above bridge.
The next development project, Lincoln West , received an elevated elevated highway, but, although Lincoln West won approval from City, failed to get funding. Later, Trump acquired the property and proposed Television City, a design based on a 13-block long podium to hide an elevated elevated highway. In response to criticism, Trump switched architects, reduced the podium to eight blocks in length, and changed the name to Trump City.
Six civil organizations opposed to Trump City, proposed a plan that would relocate and bury the highway along with much smaller development and southern extension of Riverside Park. Trump finally approved this plan, known as Riverside South. After the city's approval in 1992, work began in a new apartment complex.
As part of the Riverside South agreement, Urban Development Corporation continues with a planning and environmental study for relocated highways. However, the relocation and burial of elevated toll roads becomes politically complicated when, at the same time, the DOT State continues a $ 70 million project to straighten, expand and strengthen the viaducts. In 2005, most of Trump's partners sold the project to Carlyle Group and Extell Development Company. In June 2006, new developers began to build tunnels between roads 61 and 65 for relocated highways.
West Side Highway Replacement Project
After the end of the Westway project, there was a debate about what to do about the rest of the highway. Vollmer Associates was contracted for a road replacement project in September 1986. There are four alternatives: three level options with different lanes and street quality, and an option with a class-separated slope above a busy intersection. In November, a commission was formed to discuss alternatives. Four days later, some parts of the highway were agreed upon. It will be a flyover north of 49th Street; in-class pathways between 44th and 25th Streets, including the distressed north road from 32nd to 42nd Streets; a tunnel under the garden between 20th and 25th Streets; an at-grade boulevard between 20 and Houston Streets; a street level with 3-lane elevated ramp between Houston and Harrison Streets; and a 9-lane boulevard with stamped ramps through Battery Park City. There will be 26 traffic lights. This proposal was attacked by mass transportation associations, environmental groups, and elected officials.
In January 1987, the commission unanimously agreed to build the highway as a six-lane urban roadway with median lampposts and decorative-style lights. There will be 60 hectares (24 acres) of $ 100 million parks on the western outskirts of the highway, most recently criticized by Governor Mario Cuomo for being too expensive. Thereafter, there were some delays caused by Cuomo's reluctance to prioritize the project. Meanwhile, old highways that are left behind are used by squatters. One of the first options rejected in 1989 was the construction of highways in the landfill, which was the reason for Westway's cancellation. There are also proposals for "cove" developments in addition to the future boulevard.
Construction began in early 1996 on the West Side Highway project. The first of seven segment projects - between Clarkson and Horatio streets in Greenwich Village neighborhood - was completed in 1998.
The construction of the West Side Road Replacement Project was completed between Battery and 59th Street in August 2001. The period between the 1973 and 1985 collapse of Westway's death was a chaotic time for the driver because the original elevated highway was dismantled (finally in 1989) and traffic diverted to the road temporary highway. The new highway allows trucks, old ones not elevated. Along with the Henry Hudson Parkway to the north, he created a boulevard along the Hudson River from the north end to the southern tip of Manhattan.
Hudson River Park
The legislation in June 1998 followed an agreement by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Governor George Pataki to create the Hudson River Park on the west side of the 59th Street highway to Battery. The park consists of 550 acres (2.2 km 2 ) and is the largest park building in town since Central Park. The bike path that extends the highway to Battery Park City is one of the first additions. Piers is currently being renovated and other work continues, with Pier 84 being the largest.
Joe DiMaggio Highway
Although the highway has two other official names, the official name never stops. The first official name is Highway Miller, in honor of the city council president who pushed the highway. On March 30, 1999, at the urging of Mayor Giuliani, the highway was renamed the legendary New York Yankees player Joe DiMaggio, who died three weeks earlier. Legislation to change the name of the highway was introduced before DiMaggio died. Giuliani is fighting for a name change because the highway will be the approach to the proposed West Side stadium on the highway and 32nd Street. DiMaggio lived on the eastern side of Manhattan.
The signs containing the new ceremonial name of the highway were erected on 25 April 1999. This was in the midst of reconstruction, completed on 29 March 2002, after the September 11, 2001, devastating part of the road, which is still being rebuilt. Only a few signboards for new names were established as a result, while signs of "West Side Highway" were abundant.
September 11, 2001, and thereafter
The project completion was originally set for October 2001, but was postponed for years due to damage caused by the September 11 attacks. The highway, which runs west of the World Trade Center, played a major role in the attacks of 11 September 2001 and beyond. Photo of the famous flag raising by Thomas E. Franklin from Bergen Records takes place on the highway at the northwest corner of the site. In addition, three pieces of tower that fell onto the highway were used in iconic drawings that day. Emergency personnel took off on the West Side Highway and were greeted by the crowd cheering on Christopher Street when they returned. Almost all the debris from the Center traveled to the West Side Highway to be sent by barge. During the last half-month, ambulances outside the city waited on the highway for an opportunity to help the injured patient.
There is debate whether to rebuild the damaged part of the road as the road surface or tunnel. As the master plan was developed for Ground Zero, plans initially called for West Side Highway to be buried in a tunnel between the site and Battery Park City estimated to cost $ 1 billion. Goldman Sachs, who had planned to build its headquarters in Battery Park City, announced its intention to cancel the plan due to concerns about traffic patterns and long-term construction disruptions. This prompted New York Governor George Pataki to cancel the tunnel project for the sake of a boulevard. The highway was completed in 2014.
In 2004, police forces from PANYNJ and NYPD announced concerns that the proposed World Trade Center would be too close to the West Side Highway and thus vulnerable to car bombs. This prompted the total redesign of the tower and its relocation of the site from the highway.
There used to be four pedestrian bridges of West Street, two of which were established after the September 11 attacks. An intersection below the average of the West Side Highway connecting the Brookfield Place complex (formerly World Financial Center) and the Concourse World Trade Center level opened in October 2013, allowing pedestrian bridges adjacent to Vesey Street to be moved.
On October 31, 2017, a man deliberately drove a mile-long pickup truck through the Hudson River bike lane, parallel to the West Side Highway between Houston Street and Chambers Street, killing eight people and injuring at least 11 people.
Large intersection
Although it is a surface path, with many intersections and traffic lights at some point, several intersections are numbered out.
See also
- New York Roads portal
- West Side Highway crossing bridge, a group of pedestrian bridges crossing the highway
References
External links
- Video - Westway Lecture di The Skyscraper Museum (2014)
- NYCroads.com - West Side Highway (NY 9A)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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