Interstate 278

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Although not directly connected to Interstate 78, I-278 comprises a major through route for the five boroughs of New York from North Jersey and I-95. The designation represents a collection of pre-Interstate constructed facilities including the Staten Island / Clove Lakes Expressway, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Gowanus Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, Robert F. Kennedy (Triborough) Bridge and Bruckner Expressway.

Interstate 278 Guides

East

Goethals Bridge / Staten Island Expressway - 49 photos

Verrazano Narrows Bridge / Gowanus Expressway - 55 photos

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) - 60 photos

Triborough Bridge / Bruckner Expressway - 43 photos

West

Bruckner Expressway / Triborough Bridge - 37 photos

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) - 56 photos

Gowanus Expressway / Verrazano Narrows Bridge - 33 photos

Staten Island Expressway / Goethals Bridge - 28 photos

Within the Garden State, Interstate 278 extends just two miles west from the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and the Goethels Bridge to U.S. 1/9 at Linden. The route was originally planned to continue northwest to Interstate 78 at Springfield.

1966 map showing the proposed alignment of I-278 northwest from Linden, NJ

The proposed alignment extending Interstate 278 northwest from Linden to I-78 west of Union, New Jersey.

The $1.5 billion replacement project for the aging Goethals Bridge kicked off on May 7, 2014. The new cable-stayed bridge accommodates six 12 foot wide travel lanes, five foot inside shoulders and 12 foot outside shoulders. The span also includes a 10 foot wide sidewalk along the north side with provisions for future transit service (Staten Island Life, 2014) (The Port Authority of NY & NJ, n.d.). Traffic shifted to the new eastbound bridge with two-way traffic on June 10, 2017. The westbound crossing opened on May 21, 2018.

The original Goethals Bridge opened along with the Outerbridge Crossing (New Jersey Route 440 / NY 440) on June 20, 1928. Measuring 8,600 feet in length, the steel-truss cantilever bridge crossed the river with a maximum height of 135 feet at mid-span. The bridge was named after Major General George W. Goethals, designer of the Panama Canal (Anderson, n.d.).

References:

Cuomo announces official &apos:start&apos: of $1.5B Goethals replacement. (2014, May 7). Staten Island Life.

The Port Authority of NY & NJ. (n.d.). Goethals Bridge Replacement Project. http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/goethals-bridge-replacement.html

Anderson, S. (n.d.). Goethals Bridge (I-278). NYCRoads.com. http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/goethals/

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