Interstate 678 New York

Linking Queens and Bronx in New York City, Interstate 678 crosses the East River on the Bronx Whitestone Bridge. 12/17/17

Overview

Interstate 678 extends north along the Van Wyck Expressway from the terminal access road serving John F. Kennedy International Airport (formerly Idlewyld Airport). The urban freeway travels below grade by the South Ozone Park, Jamaica and Morris Park communities of Queens to the Kew Gardens Interchange with Grand Central Parkway and Jackie Robinson Parkway west.

Continuing north along the Van Wyck Expressway, I-678 runs along the east side Flushing Meadow Park while Grand Central Parkway lines the west side to and beyond respective interchanges with I-495 (Long Island Expressway). The Van Wyck ends at Northern Boulevard (NY 25A), where I-678 turns northeast onto the Whitestone Expressway. The Whitestone travels north to Malba, Whitestone and the tolled Bronx-Whitestone Bridge.

Passing through Ferry Point Park, Interstate 678 enters the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge toll plaza and transitions to Hutchinson River Expressway. The freeway continues a short distance north to the Bruckner Interchange, where I-95, I-278 and I-295 meet by Schuylerville. Hutchinson River Parkway takes over northward to Westchester County, Interstate 684 and the Merritt Parkway into Connecticut.

History

Construction for the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge commenced in May 1937. Intended to provide relief to the nearby Triborough Bridge (Interstate 278), the suspension bridge opened on April 29, 1939. Interstate 678 was originally proposed as a loop south from I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) at the Bruckner Interchange to the Whitestone Expressway, and west along Northern Boulevard and Grand Central Parkway to Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expresway West). The western leg of the loop was dropped from the Interstate system by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) June 23, 1969, when I-678 was redirected southward over the Van Wyck Expressway to Interstate 495 (Long Island Expressway).

For more information, visit Steve Anderson’s pages on NYCRoads.com:

Route Information

North End – Bronx, New York, NY
South End – Queens, New York, NY
Mileage – 14.33
Cities – New York City
Junctions –

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

I-678 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

Location	Vehicles per day
JFK Apt to Exit 1	54,054
Exits 1 to 2	132,201
Exits 2 to 3	133,895
Exits 5 to 6	131,958
Exits 6 to 9	147,053
Exits 9 to 10	138,588
Exits 10 to 11	88,772
Exits 11 to 12	94,087
Exits 12 to 13	134,800
Exits 13 to 14	141,629
Exit 14 to Whitestone Br	143,222
Whitestone Br	115,237
Whitestone Br to Bruckner Int	100,303

Source: 2015 NYSDOT Traffic Data Viewer

Interstate 678 New York – 1961

Prior to completion of the Van Wyck Expressway, the route outlined for Interstate 678 extended west from the Whitestone Expressway along Northern Boulevard to the BQE.

Photo Guides

Interstate 678

North End – Bronx, New York City

North at

Interstate 678 advances north from the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge to Exit 18 for Lafayette Avenue and the Thoggs Neck neighborhood in the Bronx. The Bruckner Interchange with I-95 and I-278 follows. 12/17/17

Interstate 678 north concludes with two lanes continuing onto Hutchinson River Parkway and three lanes connecting with I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) and I-278 (Bruckner Expressway) west at the Bruckner Interchange. 12/17/17

All truck traffic along I-678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) must depart at the Bruckner Interchange as the freeway mainline transitions into Hutchinson River Parkway. Trucks are prohibited from all parkways across New York City, partly due to low bridge clearances. 12/17/17

Two lanes curve westward beyond Exit 19N for I-95 north to New Haven, Connecticut to join elevated roadways for both the Cross Bronx Expressway to Manhattan and the Bruckner Expressway west to the RFK Bridge. 12/17/17

South at

Hutchinson River Parkway south directly transitions to I-678 through the Bruckner Interchange linking with I-95, I-278 west and I-295 south. Exit 1 connects the Hutch with both I-278 (Bruckner Expressway) and I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) via Bruckner Boulevard. 08/29/05

Exit 1 leaves Hutchinson River Parkway southbound beyond a small service plaza adjacent to Westchester Creek. Exit 1 ties into the Bruckner Boulevard frontage road system ahead of entrance ramps to I-95 south, I-278 west and I-678 south. 08/29/05

I-678 begins as Hutchinson River Parkway transitions to expressway standards en route to the Whitestone Bridge and Queens. There is no access from Exit 1 to either I-95 (Bruckner Expressway) north or I-295 (Cross Bronx Expressway Extension) south from this direction. 08/29/05

North at

I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) runs through Unionport in Bronx, New York southeast to the Bruckner Interchange with I-678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) south and I-295 south. 05/30/22

I-95 splits with the Cross Bronx Expressway at Exit 6 B for the Bruckner Expressway northeast through Schuylerville. I-295 angles southeast to the Throgs Neck Bridge. 05/30/22

Exit 6 A leaves the Cross Bronx Expressway north beyond the Watson Avenue pedestrian overpass for Interstate 678 south to JFK International Airport. 05/30/22

Interstate 678 spans the East River southward to Whitestone and Malba, where it ties into Cross Island Parkway east and Whitestone Expressway south. 05/30/22

East at

A flyover links I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) north to the forthcoming ramp joining I-278 east with Interstate 678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) south to Queens. 05/30/22

Spanning Westchester Creek and Brush Avenue, traffic separates with two lanes joining the Interstate 295 (Cross Bronx Expressway) mainline south to Locust Point and two lanes joining I-678 (Hutchinson River Parkway) south to Ferry Point Park. 08/29/05

South at

I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway) travels below grade through the Schuylerville neighborhood of Bronx, New York leading southwest to the Bruckner Interchange with I-278 west and I-678 south. 05/30/22

Exit 6A separates from I-95 south just beyond the left exit for I-278 (Bruckner Expressway) west for Interstate 678 to the Whitestone Bridge. 05/30/22

Exit 6A connects I-95 with I-678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) south ahead of Ferry Point Park and Bruckner Boulevard west below I-278. 05/30/22

North End Throwback

North at

An end shield for I-678 stood beyond the gore point for Exits 19N-S-W until 2002. The shield was eventually replaced with an erroneous I-678 north confirming marker. Hutchinson River Parkway extends northeast from the Bronx to the suburbs of Mount Vernon, Pelham and New Rochelle. Photo by Steve Anderson (10/98).

I-678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) continued a half mile north from the Whitestone Bridge toll plaza to the Bruckner Interchange with I-95 and I-278 west. 06/13/05

Passing west of Throgs Neck in the Bronx, I-678 drops below grade at Lafayette Avenue, where Exit 19 separates for I-95 and I-278 west. 06/13/05

Changes to guide signs for Exit 19 dropped the expressway names for I-95/278 and switched New England for New Haven, Connecticut. 06/13/05

Removed by 2011, this sign bridge separated traffic into the respective ramps (Exits 19 S/W) for I-95 south and I-278 west. 08/29/05

This button copy sign for Exit 19W to I-278 (Bruckner Expressway) west was replaced when the Triboro Bridge was renamed to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in 2008. 08/29/05

North at

Former button copy guide signs using the original mile based exit numbering system for the Cross Bronx Expressway, one quarter mile from the Bruckner Interchange at Castle Hill Avenue. 08/29/05

Exit 6 A departs from I-95 north just ahead of I-295 for I-678 (Hutchinson River Expressway) south to Queens. 08/29/05

South End – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – Queens, New York City

Van Wyck Expressway – North

Leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), maintenance along the Van Wyck Expressway shifts from the Port Authority to NYSDOT. The ensuing exit along I-678 northbound serves both NY 878 (Nassau Expressway) and Belt Parkway (Southern Parkway) east. 12/17/17

The roadways for I-678 diverge beyond Federal Circle for the ramps to Belt Parkway and Nassau Expressway east. NY 878 (unsigned I-878) is a remnant of the once proposed route taking I-78 east from the Bushwick Expressway to the Clearview Expressway. 12/17/17

Interstate 678 travels north with three lanes toward Jamaica and Kew Gardens as Exit 1A departs for NY 878 east to Rockaway Boulevard and Belt Parkway to Nassau County. 12/17/17

South End Throwback

Van Wyck Expressway – South

I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) meets NY 27 (Conduit Avenue), Belt Parkway and NY 878 (Nassau Expressway) east at a directional cloverleaf interchange (Exits 1-1E) on the north side of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Conduit Avenue forms the frontage road system for Belt Parkway, while the Nassau Expressway comprises a freeway eastbound to cargo areas of JFK Airport. 08/29/05

Left Exit 1E partitions from I-678 south for Belt Parkway and NY 27 (Conduit Avenue) east to Nassau County. This exchange represents the west end of Interstate 878, the unsigned counterpart of the Nassau Expressway east to Rockaway Boulevard. 08/29/05

The Van Wyck Expressway continues south to a right in right out (RIRO) connection with 150th Avenue as I-678 reaches John F. Kennedy International Airport. Most maps show I-678 posted southward into the airport, but New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) maintenance ends at this point. 08/29/05

The Port Authority takes over maintenance for Van Wyck Expressway within John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The freeway next navigates through Federal Circle, a rotary interchange with access to rental car facilities and adjacent industrial areas. 08/29/05

Three lanes curve southward from Exit B to 130th Place, long terminal parking and the Port Authority Administration toward the numbered terminals of JFK Airport. 08/29/05

Page updated June 6, 2022.