ELEVATED HIGHWAY TO SPEED TRAFFIC
WHAT will be the finest, and perhaps the greatest, highway of its kind in the world, is now under construction in New York City. Built along the Hudson River waterfront, this highway, which may be listed as one of Borough President Miller’s important achievements, begins at the Hudson Tunnels at Canal Street and will extend to Spuyten Duyvil, a distance of 14 miles. The lower section, up to 72nd Street, will be elevated 14 feet above the street level. From 72nd Street, it will be a beautiful boulevard covering the tracks of the New York Central Railroad completely.
Ramps will be provided at 23rd, 42nd, and 57th Streets, reaching the center of the elevated roadway so that no cross traffic will occur. This will permit a speed of 40 miles an hour, resulting in a traffic capacity of 5000 vehicles an hour. Approaches will be constructed at nine uptown points, be- ginning with one at 72nd Street. The roadway will be 60 feet wide to accommodate six lines of traffic and will have the most modern signal system for traffic control, fire and police protection. The architectural design will take care of the esthetic as well as the practical values of the structure.
The first section between Canal and 22nd Streets is now nearing completion and may be opened for traffic before this article is printed. Construction of this section involved many difficulties, one of the worst of which was the building of concrete foundations for the 400 columns in waterfront land that was filled in years ago with all kinds of waste materials, soil, and stones.
This great structure will aid greatly in solving New York’s north- and southbound, long-distance traffic problem. It is understood that the plan calls for double-decking some time in the future.