The Sheridan Expressway in the Bronx has now transformed into a walkable, tree-lined connection for residents to the Bronx River waterfront and Starlight Park.
The $75 million project began in October 2018 and is finished a little over a year later. The goal was to reconfigure the Sheridan Expressway into an “urban boulevard,” according to a press release, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to much more easily move through neighborhoods and enjoy their own space away from heavy traffic.
It reconnects the Crotona Park, West Farms and Soundview neighborhoods with three new crosswalks, a new two-way bikeway along Edgewood Road leading to Starlight Park and the Bronx River Greenway, and a new pedestrian bridge over the Bronx River that connects Starlight Park to the multi-use path across the river.
The project was all part of a $1.8 billion New York State investment in the South Bronx, and the next phase will involve providing direct access to the Hunts Point Market—the largest wholesale food distribution centers in the world—from both the Bruckner Expressway and the new Sheridan Boulevard. It will be completed in three phases, with the first phase beginning this month.
“For far too long, South Bronx residents have contended with noise, traffic and physical barriers that have limited mobility and economic growth,” Governor Cuomo said at an event announcing the completion of the project. “The new and improved Sheridan Boulevard corrects the planning mistakes of the past by protecting the health and safety of the South Bronx, by reconnecting local neighborhoods, and by improving access to the nearby Bronx River waterfront and parks.”
featured image source: NY Gov