Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive

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Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive

The Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive (commonly referred to as the FDR Drive) is a freeway

Freeway

A freeway is a type of road designed for Road safety#Motorway high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections....
-standard parkway

Parkway

In the United States, Parkways are defined as follows:#A type of road##A broad landscaped thoroughfare; especially : one from which trucks and other heavy vehicles are excluded....
on the east side of the New York City

New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
borough of Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is one of the five borough of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.With a United States Census of 1,620,867 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles , Manhattan, coextensive with New York County, is the most population density county in the United States, w...
. It starts just north of the Battery Park Underpass

Battery Park Underpass

The Battery Park Underpass was the second section of Manhattan's Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive to be completed, opening to the public in April 1951....
at South and Broad Streets and runs along the entire length of the East River

East River

The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland....
, from the Battery Park Underpass under Battery Park – north of which it is the South Street Viaduct – north to 125th Street / Triborough Bridge

Triborough Bridge

The Triborough Bridge, officially named the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, is a complex of three bridges connecting the New York City political subdivisions of New York State#Borough of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens on Long Island, using what were two islands, Ward's Island and Randall's Island as intermediate Right-of-way between th...
exit, where it becomes the Harlem River Drive

Harlem River Drive

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Encyclopedia

The Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive (commonly referred to as the FDR Drive) is a freeway

Freeway

A freeway is a type of road designed for Road safety#Motorway high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections....
-standard parkway

Parkway

New York City

Manhattan

Battery Park Underpass

East River

Triborough Bridge

Harlem River Drive

The Harlem River Drive is a major freeway-standard parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs along the Harlem River from the Triborough Bridge to the George Washington Bridge and points further north in Manhattan....
. All of the FDR Drive is designated New York State Reference Route 907L, an unsigned reference route.

The highway is mostly three lanes in each direction, with the exception of a small section underneath the Brooklyn Bridge where it is two lanes southbound and one lane northbound. A section between the Queensboro Bridge/60/61st Street interchange is also narrowed to two lanes. By law, the current weight limits on the FDR Drive from 23rd Street to the Harlem River Drive in both directions is posted . Buses are not allowed to use the roadway north of 23rd Street, because of clearance and weight issues. All commercial vehicles (including trucks) are banned from all sections of the FDR Drive. The FDR Drive features a mix of below-grade, at-grade, and elevated sections, as well as three partially covered tunnels.

Route description

The FDR Drive starts at the southern tip at South

South Street (Manhattan)

South Street in Manhattan is noted for its seaport, also called the South Street Seaport.Sometime in the early 1980s, South Street was refurbished from its abandoned status into a tourist attraction to create an atmosphere similar to places like Baltimore's Inner Harbor....
and Broad Street

Broad Street (Manhattan)

Broad Street is located in the Financial District in the New York City borough of Manhattan, stretching from South Street to Wall Street.Broad Street was named for the Broad Canal, which it replaced....
s and becomes elevated to a point between Jackson Street and Gouverneur Slip, near the Manhattan Bridge

Manhattan Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn on Long Island....
exit. From there it is at street level, until it passes underneath Houston St

Houston Street (Manhattan)

Houston Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan Manhattan. It runs crosstown across the full width of the borough of Manhattan, from Pier 40 on the Hudson River, through the Port Authority Truck Terminal on Greenwich Street, Manhattan, to the East River, and serves as the boundary between the neighborhoods of Greenwich...
overpass, then continues at grade. Once past the 14th St

14th Street (Manhattan)

14th Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street rivals the size of some of the well-known avenues of the city and is an important business location....
curve, it becomes elevated briefly, except the northbound roadway is at street level when passing through Waterside Plaza

Waterside Plaza

Waterside Plaza was a Mitchell-Lama Housing Program funded rental apartment complex constructed in 1974 and located in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan, New York City....
between 23rd

23rd Street (Manhattan)

23rd Street is a large thoroughfare across the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs from river to river across Manhattan, carrying two-way traffic....
and 34th

34th Street (Manhattan)

34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus lines and four New York City Subway stops serving the , and trains at Eighth Avenue , the , and trains at Seventh Avenue ,...
Streets, then realigns with the southbound roadway above ground.

The roadway quickly dips onto street level after passing 42nd St

42nd Street (Manhattan)

42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square....
, the southbound roadway is inside a later structure resembling a tunnel while the northbound roadway appears to be on the outside of the tunnel. This is due to the construction of the United Nations Headquarters

United Nations headquarters

The United Nations Headquarters is a distinctive complex in New York City that has served as the headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1950....
on a platform above the FDR which is at grade. From 51st to 63rd Streets, in this tunnel, the southbound roadway is raised and runs slightly over the northbound roadway, so the Queensboro Bridge

Queensboro Bridge

The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909....
northbound exit can be built. North of 63rd street the roadways become level and run underneath the patforms of the New York-Presbyterian

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City, composed of two medical centers, Columbia University Columbia University Medical Center and the Cornell University Weill Medical Center....
and Cornell Medical Center hospitals, while remaining at grade.

From 79th to 90th Street runs a final enclosed, at-grade portion. The promenade of Carl Schurz Park

Carl Schurz Park

Carl Schurz Park is a 14.9 acre public park in New York City, named for Carl Schurz in 1910, at the edge of the solidly German-American community of Yorkville, Manhattan....
was built over the highway, near Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the Mayor of New York of New York City. Built in 1799, it is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and Eighty-eighth Street in Manhattan....
. Except for a short elevation over the 96th Street

96th Street (Manhattan)

96th Street is a major two-way street in East and West Harlem, which is a part of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from the East River at the Franklin D....
interchange, the remaining portion of the roadway from this tunnel to the 125th St

125th Street (Manhattan)

125th Street is a two-way street that runs east-west in the New York City borough of Manhattan, considered the "Main Street" of Harlem; It is also called Dr....
interchange is at grade.

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway

Manhattan Waterfront Greenway

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a walking and cycle path, long, around the island of Manhattan. The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks....
runs below, beside or above the motor road, except between 34th and 63d Streets. A plaque dedicating the East River Drive is visible on the southbound roadway before entering the Gracie Mansion tunnel at 90th Street.

History

Originally named East River Drive, FDR Drive was later renamed after Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The roadway was designed by Robert Moses

Robert Moses

Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second French Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of urban planning in the United States....
. He faced the difficulties of building a parkway/boulevard combination along the East River while minimizing disruptions to residents. The section from 125th Street to 92nd Street is the original 1934 construction, while sections from 92nd Street down to Battery Park (with the exception of a section from 42nd to 49th Streets) were built as a boulevard, an arterial highway running at street level. Future reconstruction designs from 1948 to 1966 converted FDR Drive into the full parkway that is in use today.

Exit list

The entire route is in Manhattan

Manhattan

Mile	# Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore ....	Destinations	Notes
0.00			Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Battery Park Underpass Battery Park Underpass The Battery Park Underpass was the second section of Manhattan's Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive to be completed, opening to the public in April 1951.... under Battery Park
	1	Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between Manhattan Island and Staten Island....	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	1	South Street South Street (Manhattan) South Street in Manhattan is noted for its seaport, also called the South Street Seaport.Sometime in the early 1980s, South Street was refurbished from its abandoned status into a tourist attraction to create an atmosphere similar to places like Baltimore's Inner Harbor....	Northbound exit only
1.30	2	Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5,989 feet over the East River, connecting the New York City borough s of Manhattan and Brooklyn .... , Manhattan Civic Center
	3	South Street South Street (Manhattan) South Street in Manhattan is noted for its seaport, also called the South Street Seaport.Sometime in the early 1980s, South Street was refurbished from its abandoned status into a tourist attraction to create an atmosphere similar to places like Baltimore's Inner Harbor.... - Manhattan Bridge Manhattan Bridge The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn on Long Island....	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	4	Grand Street Grand Street (Manhattan) Grand Street is a street in Manhattan, New York City. It runs east-west parallel to and south of Delancey Street, from SoHo through Chinatown,_Manhattan, Little_Italy,_Manhattan, the Lower East Side to the East River.... - Williamsburg Bridge Williamsburg Bridge The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side, Manhattan of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood of Brooklyn on Long Island at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway ....	Southbound entrance and exit
3.03	5	Houston Street Houston Street (Manhattan) Houston Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan Manhattan. It runs crosstown across the full width of the borough of Manhattan, from Pier 40 on the Hudson River, through the Port Authority Truck Terminal on Greenwich Street, Manhattan, to the East River, and serves as the boundary between the neighborhoods of Greenwich... - Holland Tunnel Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland....
	6	East 15th Street	Southbound exit and entrance; closed since September 11, 2001
3.87	7	East 20th Street, East 23rd Street 23rd Street (Manhattan) 23rd Street is a large thoroughfare across the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs from river to river across Manhattan, carrying two-way traffic....	Northbound exit is East 20th/23rd Streets. Southbound exit is East 23rd Street only
4.80	8
5.05	9	East 42nd Street 42nd Street (Manhattan) 42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square....	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	10	East 49th Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	11	East 53rd Street 53rd Street (Manhattan) 53rd Street is a Midtown Manhattan cross street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, that contains buildings such as the Citicorp Building....	Southbound exit only
6.14	12
	13	East 71st Street	Southbound exit and entrance
		East 79th Street 79th Street (Manhattan) 79th Street is a major two-way street in the Upper East Side and Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East 79th Street stretches from East End Avenue to Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side, where it enters Central Park through Miners' Gate....	Southbound entrance only
7.94	14	East 96th Street 96th Street (Manhattan) 96th Street is a major two-way street in East and West Harlem, which is a part of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from the East River at the Franklin D....
	15	East 106th Street	Southbound exit and entrance
	16	East 116th Street 116th Street (Manhattan) 116th Street runs from Riverside Drive , overlooking the Hudson River, to the East River, through the New York City borough of Manhattan. It traverses the neighborhoods of Morningside Heights, Harlem, and Spanish Harlem; the street is interrupted between Morningside Heights and Harlem by Morningside Park....	Southbound exit and entrance
9.44	17
9.44	18		Northbound exit and southbound entrance
9.44			Continuation beyond I-278 and I-87 connections

Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive

Route description

History

Exit list

External links