Route 27
New York Route 27 follows the Prospect Expressway south in Brooklyn from Interstate 278 (Gowanus Expressway) at Red Hook to Caton Avenue in Kensington. The freeway ends at Ocean Parkway (Route 908H), a six-lane urban boulevard extending south to Brighton Beach, and Church Avenue. NY 27 shifts onto Caton Avenue through Flatbush and Lindon Boulevard east from Bedford Avenue to Brownsville, East New York and Lindenwood. NY 27 follows Conduit Avenue, a one time planned alignment for Interstate 78, southeast from Ozone Park to the Belt Parkway frontage road system. NY 27 runs side by side with Belt Parkway east to South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens and Laurelton. NY 27 leaves Belt Parkway at Rosedale, which crosses into Valley Stream in Nassau County as Sunrise Highway.
NY 27 constitutes the longest route across Long Island, measuring 121.28 miles from I-278 to Montauk Point. Through Nassau County, NY 27 travels through Lynbrook, Freeport and Massapequa Park. Entering Suffolk County at Amityville, the state route continues east along Sunrise Highway to North Lindenhurst. East from NY 109, NY 27 upgrades to an expressway with a frontage road system across the Town of Islip.
NY 27 (Sunrise Highway) converges with NY 27A at Connetquot River State Park Preserve. The freeway extends east to Sayville, Patchoque and Shirley and North Road (CR 39) at Shinnecock Hills. The remainder of the route continues as an at-grade boulevard or two lane highway to Southampton, Sagaponack, East Hampton and Montauk.
The Prospect Expressway was proposed to extend further south through Brooklyn. In 1963, transportation mogul Robert Moses proposed a 4.2 mile upgrade of Ocean Parkway into a freeway between Church Avenue and Coney Island. A second proposal arose in 1966 to turn the Prospect Expressway southeast along Flatbush Avenue to the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Both plans received bad feedback from residents who voiced overwhelming concerns related to other disruptive freeway projects in the city.1 Neither of the extensions advanced beyond the planning stage.
The south end of the Prospect Expressway connects with Ocean Parkway (Route 908H) directly. NY 27 separates from the freeway spur eastbound along E 5th Street (Exit 5) to Caton Avenue. Westbound is discontinuous, though trailblazers are posted for NY 27 along locally maintained Coney Island Avenue south at Church Avenue, and along Church Avenue west to Ocean Parkway at the beginning of the Prospect Expressway.
East
Ramps from I-278 (Gowanus Expressway) converge along NY 27 eastbound above 3rd Avenue near Gowanus Bay.
06/13/05
A half diamond interchange (Exit 2) brings traffic onto the Prospect Expressway southbound from 4th Avenue and adjacent 17th Street.
06/13/05
The Prospect Expressway travels below grade from the 5th Avenue overpass to Ocean Parkway. The first exit from NY 27 east departs in a half mile for 10/11th Avenues.
06/13/05
Truck traffic headed east along NY 27 from the Prospect Expressway is directed onto 10th Avenue west to McDonald Avenue south to connect with the state route along Caton Avenue.
06/13/05
NY 27 (Prospect Expressway) shifts three blocks south from adjacent Prospect Avenue to the 7th Avenue entrance ramp at 19th Street. Exit 4 follows in a quarter mile at the Windsor Terrace neighborhood.
06/13/05
Exit 4 leaves NY 27 (Prospect Expressway) east at the 9th Avenue overpass. The state route departs the freeway at the ensuing exit with E 5th Street.
06/13/05
NY 27 curves southward beyond the 10th Avenue pedestrian bridge a quarter mile to Exit 5 for E 5th Street south to Fort Hamilton Parkway.
06/13/05
NY 27 separates from the Prospect Expressway beyond the Seeley Street overpass. The state route follows E 5th Street two blocks south to Caton Avenue east to the Flashbush community.
06/13/05
Prospect Expressway continues a short distance beyond NY 27 eastbound to Exit 6 for Church Avenue west and Ocean Parkway (Route 908H).
06/13/05
Restricted to passenger cars, Fort Hamilton Parkway heads west from Machate Circle to the Borough Park neighborhood.
06/13/05
Curving south over Prospect Avenue, Prospect Expressway advances a quarter mile to the slip ramp (Exit 6) with the Ocean Parkway Service Road for Church Avenue west.
06/13/05
Fort Hamilton Parkway spans Prospect Expressway at the wye interchange (Exit 5 northbound) for Park Circle. The signalized intersection with Church Avenue lies just beyond the Caton Avenue (NY 27) overpass.
06/13/05
The speed limit reduces to 30 miles per hour along Ocean Parkway south from Prospect Expressway.
06/13/05
Church Avenue leads west to 14th Avenue and 37th Street at Borough Park in Brooklyn. There is no access to Church Avenue east from Prospect Expressway south.
06/13/05
Exit 6 to the adjacent service road. The Ocean Parkway Service Road system extends south from Fort Hamilton Parkway to Surf Avenue on Coney Island.
06/13/05
Ocean Parkway (Route 908H) constitutes a six lane boulevard south from Church Avenue through the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn.
06/13/05
Ocean Parkway advances one block south from Church Avenue to Beverley Road.
06/13/05
East
Linden Boulevard leads NY 27 through the East New York neighborhood to Lindenwood at 79th Street. The state route constitutes a six lane boulevard with service roads along this stretch.
08/29/05
NY 27 (Linden Boulevard) advances east from 79th Street and Linden Center retail plaza onto Conduit Avenue at Ozone Park.
08/29/05
Confirming marker for NY 27 (Conduit Avenue) posted after Linden Boulevard. Comprising a one way couplet with a wide grassy median, Conduit Avenue was intended to serve as a frontage street network for the Bushwick Expressway (I-78) from Atlantic Avenue southeast to Belt Parkway.
12/17/17
A U-turn ramp provides access to Conduit Avenue west toward Atlantic Avenue from NY 27 eastbound at 149th Avenue.
12/17/17
A service road separates from S Conduit Avenue beyond 149th Avenue, connecting NY 27 with Cross Bay Boulevard south to Belt Parkway west.
12/17/17
NY 27 shifts onto the Nassau Expressway between 89th Street and Cross Bay Boulevard. S Conduit Avenue resumes east from NY 27 at Lefferts Boulevard.
12/17/17
Cross Bay Boulevard travels south through Howard Beach to Gateway National Recreation Area and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge en route to Seaside and the Rockaways.
12/17/17
Passing below Cross Bay Boulevard along NY 27 (Nassau Expressway). NY 878 originates along the entrance ramp from Cross Bay Boulevard and combines with NY 27 east for the ensuing 0.4 miles.
08/29/05
East
NY 27/878 shift to the south side of Belt Parkway along Nassau Expressway east to the ramps to Lefferts Boulevard and S Conduit Avenue. Planned as part of I-78, only the eastbound roadway for Nassau Expressway was built.
12/17/17
NY 27 rejoins S Conduit Avenue east from NY 878 (Nassau Expressway) ahead of Lefferts Boulevard. NY 878 connects Belt Parkway eastbound with I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
12/17/17
East
Ramps split from NY 878 (Nassau Expressway) east for NY 27 (S Conduit Avenue) along the south service road for Belt Parkway east through South Ozone Park and Lefferts Boulevard to JFK Long Term Parking lots.
08/29/05
West
NY 27 along Conduit Avenue forms the Belt Parkway frontage road system from Sunrise Highway (Exit 23) west to Exit 17W. The state route provides part of the connection from the parkway westbound to I-678 south.
08/29/05
NY 27 (Conduit Avenue) westbound at the loop ramp for I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) south into John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
08/29/05
Ramps from I-678 tie into NY 27 (Conduit Avenue) westbound ahead of 134th Place and the return ramp for Belt Parkway.
12/17/17
NY 27 (N Conduit Avenue) diverges from Belt Parkway and Nassau Expressway ahead of a parclo interchange with Cross Bay Boulevard.
12/17/17
A pedestrian overpass spans NY 27 (Conduit Avenue) at 88th Street. The wide right of way along Conduit Avenue was the result of the unconstructed Buschwick Expressway.
12/17/17
Following Linden Boulevard, NY 27 separates from Conduit Avenue in a quarter mile west to the Spring Creek and East New York neighborhoods of Queens.
12/17/17
Conduit Avenue extends another 1.5 miles northwest to merge with Atlantic Avenue along the planned right of way for the Bushwick Expressway. Interstate 78 was to continue northwest along the Bushwick Expressway to the Williamsburg Bridge into Lower Manhattan.
12/17/17
NY 27 crosses over S Conduit Avenue ahead of 79th Street and the Lindenwood neighborhood.
08/29/05
NY 27 west at 79th Street. Linden Boulevard constitutes a six lane boulevard with service roads west to Kings Highway and Rensen Avenue at East Flatbush in Brooklyn.
08/29/05
Since there is no access to Prospect Expressway north from NY 27 along Caton Avenue westbound, trailblazers direct motorists south onto Church Avenue. Church Avenue intersects the northbound beginning of Prospect Expressway at Ocean Parkway.
06/13/05
Ocean Parkway (Route 908H), extends south from Prospect Expressway and Church Avenue to Coney Island. Westbound NY 27 follows the six lane freeway north to I-278 (Gowanus Expressway).
06/13/05
Ocean Parkway branches east from a wye interchange (Exit 5) along the Prospect Expressway to Park Circle at Prospect Park.
06/13/05
A NY 27 reassurance marker precedes the Caton Avenue overpass taking the state route east from Prospect Expressway.
06/13/05
Exit 5 departs NY 27 (Prospect Expressway) west. Park Circle joins Ocean Parkway with Coney Island Avenue and Parkside Avenue east.
06/13/05
The west end of NY 27 ties into Interstate 278 just south of the split with I-478 to the Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn-Battery) Tunnel to Lower Manhattan.
06/13/05
An entrance ramp joins Ocean Parkway west with Prospect Expressway north a half mile ahead of Exit 3 to 8th Avenue.
06/13/05
Turning northwest into the South Slope neighborhood, NY 27 (Prospect Expressway) advances to the 8th Avenue off-ramp (Exit 3). Points of interest for Exit 3 include the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
06/13/05
An entrance ramp merges onto NY 27 west from 11th Avenue at the 10th Avenue pedestrian bridge.
06/13/05
Exit 3 leaves NY 27 westbound for 8th Avenue east and 18th Street north to 7th Avenue.
06/13/05
Exit 2 departs next for Prospect Avenue north to 4th Avenue and I-278 (Gowanus Expressway) west to Staten Island.
06/13/05
NY 27 (Prospect Expressway) defaults onto Interstate 278 (Gowanus Expressway) eastbound 0.75 miles north of the 6th Avenue overpass.
06/13/05
Exit 2 separates from NY 27 west to Prospect Avenue. Prospect Avenue becomes Hamilton Avenue, the Gowanus Expressway service road system, north from 3rd Avenue to Red Hook and Gowanus.
06/13/05
Exit 1 provides a direct connection from the west end of NY 27 onto Hamilton Avenue next.
06/13/05
Traffic partitions with a single lane ramp for I-278 east to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and two for Hamilton Avenue (Exit 1).
06/13/05
An end shield assembly for NY 27 west stands by the gore point for Exit 1.
06/13/05
Interstate 278 crosses a high-level bridge over Gowanus Bay just north of the Prospect Expressway. Lower Manhattan lies three miles to the north via the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (I-478).
06/13/05
References:
- Prospect Expressway (NY 27). NYCRoads.com.
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman, Justin Cozart: 06/13/05
- AARoads: 08/29/05
- ABRoads: 12/17/17
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Page Updated Sunday March 15, 2020.