Editing Bronx River Parkway (section)

==History==
{{Multiple image
|align=right
|direction=vertical
|width=250
|header=Southern end of original parkway
|image1=211 St BRP south plaque jeh.jpg
|caption1=Plaque at 211th Street
|image2=Waiting at BRP & 213 St jeh.jpg
|caption2=At 213th Street, looking south
|image3=BRP original 213 St North jeh.jpg
|caption3=At 213th Street, looking north
}}
Construction began in [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] in 1907, making it the earliest limited-access highway to start construction.<ref name="DOT on the Bronx River Parkway">{{cite web|title=Bronx River Parkway|url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/bronx-river-pkwy|website=www.dot.ny.gov|publisher=New York Department of Transportation|access-date=4 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221626/https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/bronx-river-pkwy|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> However, although construction on the [[Long Island Motor Parkway]] began a year later, a section of the Long Island road opened for traffic before the end of 1908, opening before the Bronx River Parkway as the first limited-access highway to be put into use.<ref name="Long Island Motor Parkway">{{cite web|title=Long Island (Vanderbilt) Motor Parkway Historic Overview|url=http://www.nycroads.com/history/motor/|website=nycroads.com|publisher=Eastern Roads|access-date=4 October 2014}}</ref> Neither was up to current [[controlled-access highway|freeway]] standards, utilizing left turns across the opposing direction at access points.<ref name="Long Island Motor Parkway"/><ref name="NYC ROads Historic Overview of the BRP">{{cite web|title=bronx River Parkway Historic Overview|url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/bronx-river/|website=www.nycroads.com|publisher=Eastern Roads|access-date=4 October 2014}}</ref> The Bronx River Parkway was the first highway to utilize a [[Median (road)|median strip]] to separate the opposing lanes, the first highway constructed through a park, and the first highway where intersecting streets crossed over bridges.<ref>{{cite news |title=Built to Meander, Parkway Fights to Keep Measured Pace |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/06/nyregion/built-to-meander-parkway-fights-to-keep-measured-pace.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 6, 1995 |access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bronx River Parkway On an Endangered List |first=Roberta |last=Hershenson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/nyregion/bronx-river-parkway-on-an-endangered-list.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 18, 1995 |access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> Construction on the remainder of the portion in Westchester began in 1917, after almost a decade of delays.<ref name="Parkway">{{Cite web |title=Bronx River Parkway |url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/bronx-river/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=www.nycroads.com}}</ref> The first of this opened in 1922, with the last opened in 1925.<ref>{{cite news |title=City Opens Bronx Park Way to Traffic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1922/09/17/archives/city-opens-bronx-park-way-to-traffic-provides-unbroken-highway-from.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 17, 1922 |page=14 |access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bronx Parkway Officially Opened |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1925/11/06/archives/bronx-parkway-officially-opened-15mile-motor-parade-along-the-river.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 6, 1925 |page=26 |access-date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> This officially competed the highway as originally designed.

On January 1, 1926, with the parkway completed, maintenance of the Westchester County portion was transferred to the recently created Westchester County Parks Commission, while the Bronx portion had its maintenance transferred to the city of New York.<ref name="2000 repport">{{Cite web |date=2000 |title=Photographs Paper Copies of Color Transparencies Written Historical and Descriptive Data Reduced Copies of Measured Drawings  |url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ny/ny2000/ny2000/data/ny2000data.pdf |access-date=January 10, 2025 |publisher=Historic American Engineering Record National Park Service |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

In 1927, the intersections with Palmer Road, Pondfield Road, Tuckahoe Road, and Ardsley Road were replaced by overpasses.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

The intersection with Dewitt Avenue was known to be a safety hazard towards pedestrians since its opening. However, it would take until a person was killed in 1930 that a pedestrian operated traffic signal was installed. It was a success, as most pedestrians used it and drivers obeyed it.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

In 1929, construction began on a northern extension of the road to the Croton Reservoir.<ref name="LaFrank38">{{harvp|LaFrank|2002|loc=PDF p. 38|ps=.}}</ref> In April 1931 [[steam shovel]]s finally [[groundbreaking|broke ground]] at Shrub Oak for the section built in Putnam County. Roosevelt and Moses both spoke at the ceremony, the former suggesting he still planned for the parkway to one day reach Canada.<ref name="LaFrank65">{{harvp|LaFrank|2002|loc=PDF p. 65|ps=.}}</ref> Eight months later the two rivals were at the north portal of the triple-hinged steel [[suspension bridge]] built over the reservoir, at {{convert|750|ft|m}} the longest of that type in the world at the time,{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} for the [[ribbon cutting ceremony]]. The next day, 20,000 cars took the new road from the city into the Manhattan Hills. Along the way were public picnic grounds in three areas, and {{convert|18|mi|0}} of [[bridle path]]s in the median strip.<ref name="LaFrank38"/><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.yorktownhistory.org/ncn/events/taconic.htm |title = The Taconic: Gateway To A New Yorktown |first = Martin |last = Wilbur |newspaper = North County News |location = Yorktown Heights, NY |date = June 22–28, 1988 |access-date = April 1, 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091027090915/http://www.yorktownhistory.org/ncn/events/taconic.htm |archive-date = October 27, 2009 }}</ref>

From 1927 to 1933, the East 233rd Street intersection was replaced by an interchange in order to increase capacity.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

Rest stops along the portion in Wescaster County were opened to traffic from 1930 to 1935 in an effort to better serve traveler needs.<ref name="2000 repport"/> Two were right hand facilitates serving eastbound or westbound traffic only, while the other was a left hand facility serving both directions.

The road's northern terminus was truncated to NY 22 in 1941, with the existing portion replaced by an extension of the Taconic State Parkway.<ref>{{harvp|LaFrank|2002|loc=PDF p. 75|ps=.}}</ref>

A widening to six lanes and extension southward to the [[Bruckner Boulevard]] was considered starting after World War II.<ref name="Parkway"/> Construction began in 1948,{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} and was completed on January 6, 1951.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bronx River Parkway Extension Ready for Motorists Wednesday |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/01/06/archives/bronx-river-parkway-extension-ready-for-motorists-wednesday.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 6, 1951 |page=14 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref>

In 1953, reconstruction and widening to six lanes began the {{convert|2.6|mi|1|adj=on}} segment between Bronxville and the Bronx. During this reconstruction period, a new overpass was built to serve the [[Cross County Parkway]], with the ramps rebuilt into a partial cloverleaf interchange. Intersections in the area were also replaced by overpasses or grade separated interchanges.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bulldozers Rip Up Parkway's Beauty |first=Merrill |last=Folsom |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/01/17/archives/bulldozers-rip-up-parkways-beauty-even-bronx-river-is-detoured-in.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 17, 1953 |page=17 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Parkway Segment to Close for Year |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F14F6355E177B93C3AA178AD85F478585F9 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 31, 1953 |page=21 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref> This was completed in February 1955.<ref>{{cite news |title=Highway Link Reopened |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/02/19/archives/highway-link-reopened-bronx-river-parkway-spur-in-use-after-2year.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 19, 1955 |page=15 |access-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref>

In 1955, reconstruction and widening to six lanes began at the half mile stretch of the Parkway between the Woodland Viaduct and Scarsdale line. This was in part done to eliminate sharp dips and twists that had a negative effect on drivers.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 4, 1955 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/11/04/79452693.html?pageNumber=32 |title=Highway Thrill Ending; Bronx River Parkway Section to Lose Roller Coaster Aspect |work=The New York Times |page=32 |access-date=March 15, 2023}}</ref> Work was completed in 1956.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

In 1957, over 4,000 trees and shrubs were painted, lawns developed, and new rustic fences installed. This was done due to criticism by some that previous construction ruined the landscape.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

In 1960, the exit and entrance on the northbound side between exits&nbsp;5 and&nbsp;6 in the Bronx, and an associated [[U-turn]] from southbound to northbound, was restricted to use only by police officers or employees of the Parks Departmet. This was to increase safety.

From 1960 to 1964, the portion between Tuckatoe Road and the Park Avenue Viaduct was rebuilt and widened to six lanes.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

The portion in Butler Woods was reconstructed to eliminate sharp dips and twists as well as widened to six lanes, from 1967 to 1969. This was to eliminate negative impacts on drivers.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

The rest area serving eastbound traffic only was reconstructed in 1972 after being damaged by a flood.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

In the late 1960s, plans were made to extend the road southward to [[Soundview Park]]. However, this was canceled in 1974.<ref>{{cite news | last=Fowler | first=Glenn | date=June 26, 1974 | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1974/06/26/79328964.html?pageNumber=70 | title=Planning Unit Introduces Neighborhood 'Miniplans' | work=The New York Times | page=1 | access-date=March 15, 2023}}</ref>

The interchange with the Cross County Parkway originally did not provide direct access to and from both directions of either. This was until that roads widening allowed the addition of extra ramps. Work was completed in 1978.

A pair of former rest areas on the outer margins of the roadway in Westchester near Crestwood, the southbound one is currently being used as a Westchester County Police Sub-Station, and the northbound used only as a tourist information stand.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.westchesterarchives.com/BRPR/Drawhtml/LargeImage.html |title=Characteristic Road Details (Bronx River Parkway Reservation |access-date=February 13, 2013 |archive-date=June 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608040940/http://westchesterarchives.com/BRPR/Drawhtml/LargeImage.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A rest stop formerly served both directions between Bronx exits&nbsp;7 and&nbsp;8. It was destroyed by a fire. Rather than being rebuilt, it was demolished, with the median in the area rebuilt.<ref>[http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=1.07902372124948E-05&lat=40.8624103411855&lon=-73.8717341523663&year=1966 Bronx River Parkway Gas Station between Exits 7 and 8, 1966 (Historic Aerials Online)]</ref> Both closed in 1980.<ref name="2000 repport"/>

In 1991, 13 miles of road were added to the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="Parkway"/>

The portion between the Westcheaster County line and northern terminus was designated as a [[New York Scenic Byway]] in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bronx River Pkwy |url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/bronx-river-pkwy |website=www.dot.ny.gov}}</ref>

From 1992 to 1995, the first 3 miles of road was reconstructed an widened to six lanes. This was done to increase safety and reduce deterioration.<ref name="Parkway"/>

In 1995, it was discovered that the Woodland Viaduct was in a severe state of disrepair. Because of this, from 1997 to 2000, the structure was extensively rehabilitated. Also as part of this, a nearby portion of the mainline was rebuilt.<ref name="Parkway"/>

In 2009, the exit to Oak Street in Yonkers was closed and a new exit onto Yonkers Avenue was opened a block to the south.

After seven people died in an accident, improved median barriers were added to three viaducts along the road in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Joseph |date=2012-05-02 |title=New Barriers Planned on Road Where 7 Died |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/nyregion/after-accident-barriers-will-be-added-to-bronx-highway.html#:~:text=New%20Barriers%20Planned%20on%20Road%20Where%207%20Died,-Share%20full%20article&text=The%20State%20Transportation%20Department%20will,last%20weekend,%20officials%20said%20Wednesday |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 2012, a reconstruction project began on the portion in Scarsdale. This invoked widening lane width, installing guardrails, and reconstructing bridges. Work was completed in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publicworks.westchestergov.com/crane-road-bridge/ |title=Crane Road Bridge Project |website=Westchester County Department of Public Works |access-date=March 15, 2023}}</ref>

In 2024, a new safety system was introduced to easily close low lying portions of the road in the event of a flood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Westchester County launches program to install barricades around flood-prone areas of Bronx River Parkway |url=https://westchester.news12.com/westchester-county-launches-program-to-install-barricades-around-flood-prone-areas-of-bronx-river-parkway |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=News 12 - Default}}</ref>

===Westchester designation===
The southernmost portion of the parkway in Westchester, south of the Sprain, is internally designated as NY&nbsp;907G, an unsigned [[reference route (New York)|reference route]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/structures/repository/manuals/inventory/appendix_g_named_roads_april05.pdf |title=Bridge Inventory Manual – Appendix G: State Touring Route Numbers for Named Roads |publisher=New York State Department of Transportation |date=April 2005 |access-date=April 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120350/https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/structures/repository/manuals/inventory/appendix_g_named_roads_april05.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref> in apparent violation of the numbering standard. Ordinarily, the second digit should be the region. [[New York City]] and [[Long Island, New York|Long Island]], regions 10 and 11, share 0; Westchester is region 8 (the [[Hutchinson River Parkway]] also shares this oddity). The section south of here is marked only with reference markers, and the section north only with county mileposts. This middle section has county mileposts in the middle, and reference markers with state mileposts (counting from the southern terminus in the Bronx, not the city line) alongside. However, Reference Route&nbsp;907G is no longer listed in the NYSDOT traffic counts<ref name=2014tdr/> and the entirety of the parkway in the county is considered a county route by Westchester County.<ref>{{cite map |url=http://www.westchestergov.com/planningdocs/pdfmaps/countystateroadsparks.pdf |format=PDF |title=Westchester County, New York County and State Roads and Parks |publisher=[[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] Department of Public Works |date=February 2010 |access-date=March 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229022214/http://www.westchestergov.com/planningdocs/pdfmaps/countystateroadsparks.pdf |archive-date=December 29, 2009 }}</ref>

The parkway was documented by the [[Historic American Engineering Record]] in 2001. Drawings and photographs from the documentation project were made available through [http://www.westchesterarchives.com/BRPR/BRPRHome.html the Westchester County Archives], winning an award of excellence from the Lower Hudson Conference.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Bronx River Parkway: HAER Wins Award for Documentation Project and Web Site |journal=[[Society for Industrial Archeology Newsletter]] |volume=32 |issue=4 |pages=15 |date=Summer–Fall 2003 |url=http://www.sia-web.org/sian/images/sianv32/sianv324.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626071940/http://www.sia-web.org/sian/images/sianv32/sianv324.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-26 }}</ref>