Interstate 278 Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) West

Interstate 278 (Grand Central Parkway) shifts eastward under 31st Street and an MTA line. A low clearance at the overpass requires trucks to take parallel Astoria Boulevard.

11/26/11

Interstate 278 and Grand Central Parkway part ways in one half mile at a wye interchange. GCP continues east to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park while I-278 turns south onto Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE).

11/26/11

I-278 separates with GCP beyond the Steinway Street overpass. The I-278 mainline is relegated to one through lane for the BQE south to Brooklyn and Staten Island while GCP continues with three lanes to North Beach and East Elmhurst.

11/26/11

LaGuardia Airport lies two miles east of Interstate 278 along Flushing Bay. Commercial trucks are restricted from taking Grand Central Parkway and insteas must remain along I-278 west.

11/26/11

Airport traffic was advised of LaGuardia Airport connections at the 44th Street overpass before. This overhead was replaced with new panels by 2011.

08/29/05

GCP weaves eastward through Queens to become Northern Parkway at North New Hyde Park. Constructed in the 1930s, the four to eight lane parkway provides part of the route to JFK International Airport and Nassau County, Long Island. I-278 makes a sharp turn southward onto the BQE toward Jackson Heights and Woodside in west Queens.

11/26/11

Exit numbers along I-278/GCP were originally numbered one through four. GCP continues this numbering convention east with Exit 5 for Astoria Boulevard and 82nd Street. The overhead for Interstate 278 / Exit 4 was removed by 2011.

08/29/05

Interstate 278 lowers into a narrow concrete trench along the west leg of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway ahead of Exit 41 to NY 25A (Northern Boulevard). The east leg of the BQE brings traffic from GCP west onto I-278 southward over 32nd Avenue.

08/29/05

Another height restriction for trucks along Interstate 278 is south of Exit 40 for the Broadway tunnel.

11/26/11

The BQE lowers from 31th Avenue into the single point urban interchange (Exit 41) with NY 25A (Northern Boulevard). NY 25A comprises a 72.91 mile route west to the Queens Midtown Tunnel and east to Calverton on Long Island. Northern Boulevard heads east through Jackson Heights to East Elmhurst, Corona and Citi Field (home of the MLB New York Mets) and west to Long Island City.

08/29/05

Interstate 278 narrows to one lane briefly before adding two from the east branch of the BQE ahead of Exit 40 to Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue.

11/26/11

Entering the split diamond interchange (Exit 40) with Broadway and 37th Avenue along Interstate 278 west. Broadway angles southeast from Astoria to Queens Boulevard (NY 25) at Elmhurst.

08/29/05

69th Street connects Exit 40 with Roosevelt Avenue west nearby. Roosevelt Avenue runs from Long Island City and Woodside to Corona and Flushing.

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A short and low clearance tunnel leads Interstate 278 under both Broadway and 37th Avenue next.

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Interstate 278 (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) curves southwesterly from the Roosevelt Avenue over crossing to meet NY 25 (Queens Boulevard) at a parclo interchange (Exits 39W/E).

11/26/11

Narrow without shoulders, the three westbound lanes on I-278 reach Exit 39 W to Queens Boulevard west. NY 25 heads west from the BQE to Woodside and Sunnyside along Queens Boulevard. Queens Plaza turns the route northwest to the Queensboro Bridge and Manhattan Island.

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Exit 39 E joins parallel Laurel Hill Boulevard ahead of 61st Street north to Queens Boulevard. The frontage street continues west to 58th Street, which links Woodside and Maspeth. NY 25 runs 114.07 miles from FDR Drive in Manhattan to Orient Point on the east end of Long Island.

08/29/05

Westbound I-278 meets Interstate 495 (Long Island Expressway) at a directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 35) in 0.75 miles.

11/26/11

A lane drop occurs along I-278 (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) west at Exit 35. Interstate 495 joins Mid-Manhattan with Queens and Long Island along a 71 mile long route to Riverhead. Originally ending at I-295, I-495 was extended east to Nassau County in 1983.

11/26/11

The westbound exit to I-495 includes access to Laurel Hill Boulevard west to Greenpoint Avenue and the Sunnyside community. Interstate 495 west continues to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and FDR Drive. The tunnel is not officially acknowledged as part of the Interstate system.

11/26/11

Elevating to cross Newtown Creek, Interstate 278 advances a half mile to Exit 34 with Meeker and Morgan Avenues.

11/26/11

I-278 spans Newtown Creek between Queens and Kings County across the Kosciuszko Bridge. The original bridge opened in 1939. The span was 6,021 feet in length and 125 feet above the waterway. The steel truss bridge was named after Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Revolutionary Army military engineer.¹

08/29/05

The Kosciuszko Bridge was replaced with a cable-stayed bridge.

08/29/05

Exit 34 is a half diamond interchange with Meeker Avenue, the BQE frontage street system leading southwest to Williamsburg.

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Looking west from the Kosciuszko Bridge at the Manhattan skyline.

08/29/05

Westbound traffic partitions between Exit 34 and the BQE viaduct by Greenpoint in Brooklyn. Morgan Avenue straddles industrial areas west of English Kills from Interstate 278 south to Flushing Avenue.

08/29/05

Continuing southwest, Interstate 278 meets the Williamsburg Bridge approach at a wye interchange in one mile.

08/29/05

Exit 32 B lowers onto Meeker Avenue at Union Avenue in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

08/29/05

Meeker Avenue continues two blocks west from Union Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue, which connects Williamsburg with Bushwick Junction and Middle Village in Queens.

08/29/05

Meeker Avenue ties into Metropolitan Avenue, with Marcy Avenue continuing the westbound side frontage road nearby.

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The Williamsburg Bridge was previously planned as part of Interstate 78 between the Lower Manhattan and Bushwick Expressways. I-78 appeared on maps over the span between 1958 and 1971.²

08/29/05

Interstate 278 west reduces to two lanes again at Exit 32 A. The Williamsburg Bridge along with the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges provide free connections between Brooklyn and Manhattan Island. Williamsburg Bridge touches down as Delancey Street in Lower Manhattan.

11/26/11

Passing under the flyover ramps to the Williamsburg Bridge, Interstate 278 (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) west proceeds 0.75 miles to a split diamond interchange (Exit 31) with Wythe, Kent and Flushing Avenues.

08/29/05

Interests to Downtown Brooklyn are advised to use Flatbush Avenue south from Exit 29 and Atlantic Avenue east from Exit 27.

08/29/05

Interstate 278 emerges from a trenched stretch of freeway beyond Lee Avenue and Exit 31 to Wythe and Kent Avenues. Wythe Avenue is a residential street paralleling Kent Avenue east of Brooklyn Navy Yard Industrial Park.

08/29/05

Exit 31 leaves the BQW westbound for parallel Williamsburg Street to make the connection with the aforementioned cross streets. Exit 29 follows as a loop ramp onto Tillary Street west to Flatbush Avenue.

11/26/11

Turning west parallel to Flushing Avenue and Wallabout Bay along the East River, Interstate 278 follows a six lane viaduct by the Fort Greene neighborhood to Exit 29 and Tillary Street. The elevated roadway was reconstructed in 2005-06.

11/26/11

The former button copy sign posted for Exit 29 on the I-278 viaduct. Tillary Street comprises a divided boulevard from Navy Street to Cadman Plaza at Downtown Brooklyn.

08/29/05

A number of colleges are served by Exit 29 in addition to the Brooklyn Civic Center. Flatbush Avenue intersects Tillary Street nearby at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge that leads north to Chinatown in Lower Manhattan.

11/26/11

Exit 29 departs Interstate 278 west for Tillary Street, Flatbush Avenue and the Manhattan Bridge. Opened to traffic on December 31, 1909, the Manhattan Bridge carries seven lanes on two decks with two subway tracks (the B, D, and Q subway lines). The suspension bridge was rehabilitated in the early 2000s.³

11/26/11

High rises in Downtown Brooklyn come into view as does the south tower of the Manhattan Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge was planned as part of I-478 from 1958 to 1971. The connector between the BQE and I-78 was canceled along with the Lower Manhattan Expressway.³

11/26/11

Interstate 278 loops northward to pass the Manhattan Bridge to Cadman Plaza West (Exit 28) and Brooklyn Heights. Cadman Plaza West constitutes a tree lined boulevard linking the BQE with Tillary Street and the Brooklyn Bridge.

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Westbound Interstate 278 lowers below eastbound ahead of Cadman Plaza. The double deck freeway passes under Brooklyn Promenade through Brooklyn Heights along the East River.

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Exit 28 leaves the BQE by the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and lowers to intersect Cadman Plaza West and Old Fulton Street at Hicks Street. The historic bridge carries traffic to Centre Street and Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) Drive in Lower Manhattan. Carrying six overall lanes, the span is restricted to vehicles less than 11 feet and is not open to commercial trucks.

11/26/11

The Brooklyn Bridge represents one of the oldest active spans in the United States and one of the most famous. Opened on May 23, 1883, the bridge is a registered as a National Historic Landmark.⁴

08/29/05

Skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan rise prominently above Brooklyn Port Authority Piers west of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.

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Three lanes of Interstate 278 west trudge through Brooklyn Heights below the eastbound roadway.

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Roadways split for Interstate 278 at the southeastern turn above Atlantic Avenue. A parclo interchange (Exit 27) joins the BQE with Atlantic Avenue at Columbia Street.

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Atlantic Avenue separates Brooklyn Heights and South Brooklyn on an eastward course to Crown Heights. Interstate 278 continues 0.75 miles to Interstate 478 (Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) and Hamilton Avenue (Exit 26).

11/26/11

A notoriously busy section of the BQE leads south from Atlantic Avenue along a depressed stretch of roadway through South Brooklyn.

11/26/11

Construction resulted in a closure of the Prospect Expressway off-ramp (Exit 25) from Interstate 278 west in 2005. Another closure was underway between summer 2008 and winter 2011 during the Gowanus Expressway Repair and Interim Deck Replacement Project.

08/29/05

A direct connection to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (unsigned Interstate 478) north is not available to eastbound motorists along the BQE. Instead Exit 26 carries drivers onto parallel Hamilton Avenue ahead of Clinton Street, where motorists are directed onto Hamilton Avenue northbound for its ramp to Lower Manhattan.

11/26/11

Exit 26 of Interstate 278 turns southward alongside the ending Interstate 478. A slip ramp adds traffic from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel onto the Hamilton Avenue off-ramp.

07/27/07

Ramps from Interstate 478 south and 278 west combine ahead of Hamilton Avenue. Hamilton Avenue lines the Interstate southeast from Red Hook to the Prospect Expressway interchange.

07/27/07