Hutchinson River Parkway
Hutchinson River Parkway | |
|---|---|
 Map of southeastern New York with Hutchinson River Parkway highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NYCDOT and NYSDOT | |
| Length | 18.78 mi[1] (30.22 km) |
| Existed | 1928[2]–present |
| Restrictions | No commercial vehicles or drivers with learner's permits[3] |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |     I-678 / I-95 / I-278 / I-295 in Throggs Neck |
| North end |   Route 15 / Merritt Parkway in Greenwich, CT |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Counties | Bronx, Westchester |
| Highway system | |
The Hutchinson River Parkway (also known as The Hutch) is a north–south parkway in southern New York in the United States. It extends for 18.78 miles (30.22 km) from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York–Connecticut state line at Rye Brook. The parkway continues south from the Bruckner Interchange as the Whitestone Expressway (Interstate 678 or I-678) and north into Greenwich, Connecticut, as the Merritt Parkway (Connecticut Route 15). The roadway is named for the English-born American religious leader Anne Hutchinson.
The road is designated as NY 908A, an unsigned reference route, within the Bronx and is maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). In Westchester County, the road is designated as NY 907W, also an unsigned reference route, and is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Like the Bronx River Parkway, the reference route designation of the parkway in Westchester County violates the numbering scheme used by the NYSDOT.[4] The second digit of a reference route designation typically indicates its region. While other reference routes in the county carry a second digit of "8", as Westchester County is located in region 8, the "0" in 907W is indicative of regions 10 and 11, containing Long Island and New York City, respectively.[4]
Construction of the parkway began in 1924 and was completed in 1941. The section of the parkway between Eastern Boulevard (now Bruckner Boulevard) in the Bronx and U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Pelham Manor was designated as New York State Route 1X (NY 1X) from 1941 to 1946. NY 1A was subsequently realigned to follow the Hutch between Eastern Boulevard and US 1. The NY 1A designation was removed c. 1962.[5][6]
Route description
Throggs Neck to Pelham
The Hutchinson River Parkway begins at the large Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. This interchange consists of junctions with I-95 (the Cross Bronx Expressway), I-295 (the Clearview Expressway), I-678 (the Whitestone Expressway) and I-278 (the Bruckner Expressway). The Hutchinson River Parkway proceeds north as a continuation of I-678, entering exit 1, a small 1-lane ramp to Bruckner Boulevard near Saint Raymond's Cemetery. Just to the north of exit 1 gas stations appear on each side of the road, which turns northeast and into exit 2, a connection to East Tremont Avenue. After exit 2, the parkway crosses under the NYC Subway’s IRT Pelham Line, now the 6 train, just west of Middletown Road subway station, crossing into the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx.[7]
Just after crossing into Pelham Bay, the parkway enters exit 3E–W, an interchange with the Pelham Parkway in a small section of Pelham Bay Park. After crossing over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, the parkway crosses out of Pelham Bay Park and into exit 4S–N, a junction with I-95 and the New England Thruway. Crossing over Bartow Avenue and the Hutchinson River, the parkway crosses into the main section of Pelham Bay Park, where exit 5 forks off towards the center of the park. The now six-lane parkway crosses north through Pelham Bay Park, entering exit 6, another junction with the New England Thruway. When the Hutchinson River Parkway leaves Pelham Bay Park, the right-of-way leaves the Bronx and enters Westchester County.[7] Now in the village of Pelham Manor, the parkway enters exit 7, an interchange with US 1 (Boston Post Road). Southbound, an exit 8 is present, a ramp to Sandford Boulevard in Pelham Manor. Proceeding northbound, exit 9 connects to Colonial Avenue, the continuation of Sandford Boulevard after the Hutchinson River Parkway in the adjacent village of Pelham. The parkway winds north through Pelham, entering exit 10, a connection to East 3rd Street that's only a southbound exit with no entrances nor a northbound entrance. Less than a quarter mile to the north, there's a northbound entrance to the Hutch from Sparks Avenue that is considered exit 11, though there's no exit in either direction nor is there a southbound entrance. Exits 10 and 11 are very close to each other. Winding northeast, the parkway crosses under the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line just west of Pelham station. Just after the line, the Hutchinson River Parkway crosses into exit 12, a bi-directional junction with Lincoln Avenue in Pelham.[7] However, as seen in a 1942 photo, showing the removal of the viaduct of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, Lincoln Avenue's southbound and northbound exits shared the current northbound ramp, which was a T-intersection without acceleration or deceleration lanes.[8]
New Rochelle To Harrison
Soon the parkway leaves Pelham for New Rochelle. The Hutch enters exit 13, a connection for northbound traffic to the Cross County Parkway, which connects to the Saw Mill Parkway, Sprain Brook Parkway, and Bronx River Parkway. This is the best route to Manhattan and the George Washington Bridge. The parkway winds northeast into exit 14, a junction with New Rochelle Road. Shortly after bending northwest through Nature Study Woods Park, the Cross County Parkway merges into the northbound lanes at exit 15, expanding from two lanes to three on the northbound side. This is where southbound traffic exits to the Cross County Parkway as a left exit, and the southbound side briefly expands from two to four lanes, the left two for the Cross County and the right two lanes for the Hutch. This is the eastern terminus of the Cross County. Crossing through Twin Lakes Park, the parkway enters exit 16, a junction with the northern end of Webster Avenue with no southbound exit. Passing around Reservoir 3, the northbound Hutch narrows back to two lanes, with the right lane going to exit 17, which connects to North Avenue and is only a northbound exit/entrance.[7] If you're heading southbound, there's an exit 18E & 18W instead of 17 a quarter mile north of exit 17, which connects to Mill Road (which becomes North Avenue if you take exit 18E). This exit is a frequent cause of accidents on the southbound side. After a southbound exit and northbound entrance at Wilmont Road (exit 19) a quarter of a mile north of Mill Road, the Hutch goes uninterrupted for a mile as it goes up and down rolling hills, crossing into Scarsdale. Once in Scarsdale, the Hutch has an interchange with NY-125 (commonly just called "Weaver Street"), with the southbound exit being exit 20, leading directly to Weaver Street, and the northbound entrance & exit at exit 21 a quarter mile north, where drivers use Hutchinson Avenue to connect to/from Weaver Street. The southbound entrance is from Pinebrook Boulevard slightly south of Weaver Street, and drivers must use nearby Stratton Road to connect between Weaver and Pinebrook. Continuing to the very northeast corner of Scarsdale, the Hutch meets Mamaroneck Road near the Mamaroneck/Scarsdale border. The Hutch briefly enters Mamaroneck after exit 22, where it meets Mamaroneck Avenue (not to be confused with Mamaroneck Road), a major boulevard, at a cloverleaf interchange, exits 23N and 23S. Exit 23N leads to downtown White Plains, and 23S leads to the village of Mamaroneck and provides a convenient connection to I-95. The Hutch then enters Harrison and has a 2 mile gap between exits, the longest on the New York section of the parkway. This section has a rest area with a gas station and restrooms in the center median, and can be fully accessed by either direction. Strangely, the exits skip from 23 to 25, with no exit 24.
Rye To Connecticut
Entering Rye, the parkway continues northeast to exit 25, a diamond interchange with NY 127 (commonly known as "North Street"). Passing Maple Moor Golf Course, the Hutch has a cloverleaf interchange with I-287 (the Cross Westchester Expressway), exits 26E and 26W. I-287 eastbound leads to the village of Rye and connects to I-95. I-287 westbound leads to the city of White Plains as well as the Tappan Zee Bridge, which connects Westchester and Rockland counties and is part of the main NYS Thruway, or I-87. Just to the north of the interchange, I-684 forks to the northwest with only a northbound exit and southbound entrance at exit 26N, though the exit number is strangely unsigned. I-684 leads to Katonah, Brewster, Danbury, CT, and I-84. Here the Hutch briefly has four lanes in each direction, two going to/from I-684 and two to/from the Hutch. The southbound side has a nasty murge from four to two lanes that is frequently backed up, whereas the left two lanes on the northbound side are for the I-684 exit only, with the right two contuining as the Hutch. Just northeast of I-684, the Hutch enters Purchase, curving into exit 27, NY 120 (commonly known as "Purchase Street").[7] This is also the exit for the Westchester County Airport. After exit 27 the parkway then enters Rye Brook, and makes a bend to the southeast entering exit 28, a junction with Lincoln Avenue in Harrison. The four-lane parkway winds northeast once again, entering exit 29, a junction with North Ridge Street. The Hutch then curves directly to the north and meets exit 30, where the exit numbering is quite confusing. All exits and entrances are in the same interchange, but the northbound exit to King Street southbound is exit 30S (the correct sequential number), the northbound and southbound exit to King Street northbound is exit 27, and the southbound exit to King Street southbound is exit 27S. There is no confirmed reason for this bizzarre numbering scheme, and hopefully it will be fixed in the future. Oddly enough, the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut (the continuation of the Hutch) sequentially numbers its exits upward from 27, not 30, meaning that the sequence is not consistent nor is it reset to 1, which is what happens when interstate highways cross state lines. To clarify, neither the Hutch nor the Merritt are interstate highways, even though they cross state lines.
History
Construction of the parkway began in 1924 and the first two-mile (3 km) section was completed in December 1927. By October 1928, 11 miles (18 km) of the parkway were open, connecting US 1 in Pelham, New York with Westchester Avenue in Mamaroneck, New York.[9] The original roadway was an undivided, limited-access parkway, designed with gently sloping curves, stone arch bridges, and wooden lightposts. The original 11-mile (18 km) section included bridle paths along the right-of-way. There was also a riding academy where the public could rent horses.[2]
In 1930, Robert Moses decided to build more parkways in the Bronx and Westchester County.[10] A northward extension of the Hutchinson River Parkway from White Plains to King Street (modern NY 120A) in Rye Brook, New York on the Connecticut state line was completed in 1937, and a southward extension from Pelham Manor to Pelham Bay Park opened on December 11, 1937.[11][12][13] The new southerly extension became part of a rerouted New York State Route 1A.[14][15][16] The final segment of the parkway—a southward extension to the Whitestone Bridge—was completed on October 11, 1941[17] and was initially designated NY 1X. The NY 1X designation was removed in 1946 and replaced with a realigned NY 1A,[18] which had previously followed Bruckner Boulevard and Shore Road between what is now the Bruckner Interchange and exit 5 on the Hutch.[19] The NY 1A designation was completely removed c. 1962.[20][21]
Originally, the parkway was built and designated all the way to the Whitestone Bridge. However, the original parkway designs did not allow for commercial traffic. When the bridge was designated I-678, the section between the Bruckner Interchange and the Bronx Whitestone Bridge had to be converted to Interstate Highway standards. Once that was completed in 1972, that section was assigned the I-678 designation and renamed the Whitestone Expressway, the coincide with the rest of the northern part of I-678.[22][23][24] Modifications in 1984 included the straightening of some curves, increased sight distances, removal of the rustic lightposts, and lengthening of acceleration and deceleration lanes.[2] Originally, there was a 10¢ toll in Pelham between exits 7 and 8. The toll was increased to 25 cents in 1958[25] and removed on October 31, 1994, with the last toll collected just before midnight. The tolls were demolished on the Saw Mill and Hutchinson River parkways in November 1994.[26]
In Robert Caro's biography of Robert Moses, The Power Broker, he writes that Moses deliberately designed the parkways to have low bridges to prevent low-income families from traveling by bus to destinations outside of New York City.[27]
Exit list
| County | Location | mi[1][28][29] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bronx | Throggs Neck | 0.00 | 0.00 | – |  I-678 south (Whitestone Expressway) – Whitestone Bridge, Queens, Long Island | Continuation south beyond Bruckner Interchange |
| 1 |    Bruckner Boulevard to I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) / I-278 (Bruckner Expressway) / I-295 (Clearview Expressway) – George Washington Bridge, RFK Bridge, Throggs Neck Bridge | Bruckner Interchange. Good luck navigating this. | ||||
| Westchester Square | 0.50– 1.10 | 0.80– 1.77 | 2 | East Tremont Avenue / Westchester Avenue - Westchester Square, Schuylerville, Parkchester | Exit here for the NYC Subway's 6 train at Middletown Road station. | |
| Pelham Bay | 1.50– 1.90 | 2.41– 3.06 | 3E & 3W |  Pelham Parkway - Pelham Bay, Morris Park, Fordham, Bronx Zoo | Cloverleaf Interchange. Exit 3E for Pelham Parkway eastbound (towards Pelham Bay), exit 3W for Pelham Parkway westbound (towards Morris Park/Fordham) | |
| Baychester | 2.00– 2.40 | 3.22– 3.86 | 4S | I-95 south – Throgs Neck Bridge | Southbound exit and entrance; exit 9 on I-95 | |
| 4N |  I-95 north - Baychester, Co-Op City | Southbound exit only; access to I-95 via Baychester Avenue | ||||
| Hutchinson River | 2.90 | 4.67 | Hutchinson River Drawbridge | |||
| Pelham Bay Park | 3.00– 3.40 | 4.83– 5.47 | 5 | Orchard Beach, City Island, Pelham Bay Park | ||
| 4.10 | 6.60 | 6 | I-95 north - Downtown New Rochelle | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exit 14 on I-95 | ||
| Westchester | Pelham | 4.40– 4.70 | 7.08– 7.56 | 7 |  US 1 (Boston Post Road) – Pelham, Pelham Manor | |
| 5.20 | 8.37 | 8 | Sandford Boulevard – Mount Vernon, Pelham | Southbound exit and entrance | ||
| 5.47 | 8.80 | 9 | Wolfs Lane – Mount Vernon, Pelham | Northbound exit and entrance | ||
| 5.70 | 9.17 | 10 | East Third Street – Mount Vernon, Pelham | Southbound exit only, no southbound entrance or northbound entrance/exit. Northbound entrance at nearby Sparks Avenue (exit 11). | ||
| 5.80 | 9.33 | 11 | Sparks Avenue – Mount Vernon, Pelham | Northbound entrance only, no northbound exit or southbound exit/entrance. Southbound exit at nearby East Third Street (exit 10). | ||
| 6.39 | 10.28 | 12 | East Lincoln Avenue – Mount Vernon, Pelham | |||
| New Rochelle | 6.77 | 10.90 | 13 |       Cross County Parkway west to Saw Mill River Parkway / Sprain Brook Parkway / Bronx River Parkway – Manhattan, George Washington Bridge | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exit 9 on C.C. Parkway. Ramp enters Mount Vernon | |
| 7.21 | 11.60 | 14 | Pelhamdale Avenue / New Rochelle Road – New Rochelle | |||
| 8.00 | 12.87 | 15 | Cross County Parkway west to Saw Mill River Parkway / Sprain Brook Parkway / Bronx River Parkway – Manhattan, George Washington Bridge | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; eastern terminus of C.C. Parkway | ||
| 8.60 | 13.84 | 16 | Webster Avenue – New Rochelle | No southbound exit | ||
| 9.21 | 14.82 | 17 | North Avenue – New Rochelle, Eastchester | Northbound exit and entrance | ||
| 9.20– 9.60 | 14.81– 15.45 | 18E & 18W | Mill Road & North Avenue – New Rochelle, Eastchester | Southbound exit and entrance; Exit 18W for Mill Road westbound (towards Eactchester), exit 18E for North Avenue (towards New Rochelle) | ||
| 9.90 | 15.93 | 19 | Wilmot Road – New Rochelle, Scarsdale | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| Scarsdale | 11.23 | 18.07 | 20 21 |  NY 125 (Weaver Street) – Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Larchmont | Signed as exit 20 southbound, exit 21 northbound; Northbound entrance and exit via Hutchinson Avenue; Southbound entrance via Pinebrook Boulevard | |
| 12.25 | 19.71 | 22 | Mamaroneck Road – Scarsdale, Mamaroneck | |||
| Mamaroneck | 12.80– 13.40 | 20.60– 21.57 | 23S & 23N | Mamaroneck Avenue – Mamaroneck, White Plains | Exit 23S for Mamaroneck Avenue southbound (towards Mamaroneck), exit 23N for Mamaroneck Avenue northbound (towards White Plains). | |
| Harrison | 14.00 | 22.53 | Rest area in center median with a gas station and restrooms, serves both directions. | |||
| Rye | 14.77 | 23.77 | 25 |  NY 127 (North Street) – White Plains, Harrison, Rye | ||
| 15.40– 16.10 | 24.78– 25.91 | 26E & 26W |  Westchester Avenue to I-287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) – White Plains, Rye, Tappan Zee Bridge | Exit 26E for I-287 eastbound (towards Rye), exit 26W for I-287 westbound (towards White Plains/Tappan Zee Bridge) | ||
| 15.90 | 25.59 | 26N |  I-684 north – Brewster, Katonah, Danbury, CT to I-84 | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; south end of I-684. Exit number is unsigned. | ||
| Purchase | 16.20– 16.60 | 26.07– 26.72 | 27 |   NY 120 (Purchase Street) – Purchase, Westchester County Airport | ||
| Rye Brook | 17.00– 17.43 | 27.36– 28.05 | 28 | Lincoln Avenue – Purchase, Rye Brook | ||
| 17.80– 18.15 | 28.65– 29.21 | 29 | North Ridge Street – Rye Brook | |||
| 18.72 | 30.13 | 30S 27S 27 |  NY 120A (King Street) – Rye Brook, Port Chester | All exits and entrances are in the same interchange, but the northbound exit to King Street southbound is exit 30S (the correct sequential number), the northbound and southbound exit to King Street northbound is exit 27, and the southbound exit to King Street southbound is exit 27S. | ||
| 18.78 | 30.22 | – | Route 15 / Merritt Parkway – Norwalk, Trumbull | Continuation into Connecticut | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b "2008 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. June 16, 2009. p. 336. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Hutchinson River Parkway Highlights". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (June 28, 2017). "Learner permit restrictions". New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b "Bridge Inventory Manual – Appendix G: State Touring Route Numbers for Named Roads" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. April 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ New York and Metropolitan New York (Map) (1961-62 ed.). Cartography by H.M. Gousha Company. Sunoco. 1961.
- ^ New York with Sight-Seeing Guide (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1962.
- ^ a b c d e Microsoft; Nokia (October 7, 2012). "overview map of Hutchinson River Parkway" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ Bang, Robert A. (1999). Westchester County's Million-Dollar-a-Mile Railroad, 1912–1937. American Novelties. p. 22.
- ^ Times, Special To The New York (October 21, 1928). "HUTCHINSON PARKWAY TO OPEN ON SATURDAY; Eleven-Mile Highway Will Be an Express Traffic Route Through Westchester". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Gallery, University of Rochester Memorial Art; Searl, Marjorie B. (2006). Seeing America: Painting and Sculpture from the Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. University Rochester Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-58046-246-4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "NEW BRONX TRAFFIC LINK; Hutchinson River Parkway Extension Opens Today". The New York Times. December 11, 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Panetta, Roger G. (2006). Westchester: The American Suburb. Fordham Univ Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-8232-2594-1. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "New York City Department of Parks Press Releases, January-December 1937". kermitproject.org. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Thibodeau, William A. (1938). The ALA Green Book (1938–39 ed.). Automobile Legal Association.
- ^ New York Info-Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Gulf Oil Company. 1940.
- ^ New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1940.
- ^ "New York City Department of Parks Press Releases, July-December 1941". kermitproject.org. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Official Highway Map of New York State (Map) (1947–48 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting. State of New York Department of Public Works.
- ^ New York with Pictorial Guide (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1942.
- ^ New York and Metropolitan New York (Map) (1961–62 ed.). Cartography by H.M. Gousha Company. Sunoco. 1961.
- ^ New York with Sight-Seeing Guide (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1962.
- ^ New York and Metropolitan New York (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Sinclair Oil Corporation. 1962.
- ^ New York Happy Motoring Guide (Map) (1963 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1963.
- ^ Public Papers . State Printers. 1972. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Steinberg, Jacques (June 8, 1994). "Albany Leaders Strike Deal to End 25¦-Tolls on Hutchinson and Saw Mill River Parkways". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Tolls Abolished and Smiley Face Exits the Saw Mill Parkway". The New York Times. November 13, 1994. p. WC2.
- ^ DeWan, George (May 3, 1998). "The Master Builder: How planner Robert Moses transformed Long Island for the 20th Century and beyond". Newsday. New York City. p. A12.
Although he denied it, the bridges on the parkways had been built too low to accommodate buses so that poor people without cars, especially minorities, could not get to parks and beaches. Caro said that he was told this privately by one of Moses' right-hand men, Sid Shapiro, who later himself became head of the park commission.
- ^ Google (January 5, 2016). "Hutchinson River Parkway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ "Bronx County Inventory Listing" (CSV). New York State Department of Transportation. August 7, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) "Westchester County Inventory Listing" (CSV). New York State Department of Transportation. August 7, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2017.{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
External links
- Hutchinson River Parkway at Alps' Roads