Clearview Expressway is one of the many incomplete freeway links in New York City. The Roadway was originally meant to connect JFK Airport with the Throggs Neck Bridge as an alternative to the Van Wyck Expressway. The Proposal faced opposition and was halted at the Grand Central Parkway and Hillside Avenue in Hollis.
As Recently as 2011, discussions were held to connect the Clearview Expressway with JFK Airport, but never leaped past the planning stage. I have tinkered around with a couple of scenarios, both involving bored tunnel segments connecting with different parts of the Cross Island Parkway. Because of the water table, every scenario had to be carefully designed, and each scenario ends before the sea level renders a tunnel impossible. Here are the two scenarios I came up with.
Scenario One: Southern State Link
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Map of what this extension, Scenario One, Would look like. Shields via Wikicommons
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This Scenario is unlikely for a number of reasons, but serves as my personal preference. The Clearview here would be routed as a tunneled segment following Francis Lewis Boulevard before veering off near 130th Avenue.
This path is problematic mostly for one reason. The Southern State Parkway was built along a former aqueduct and such scenario would put it along a waterway.
Scenario Two: Cross Island Parkway Link
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| What Scenario Two would look like (Shields via Wikicommons) |
This Scenario is more likely. The Tunneled segment would begin at Hillside Avenue before following Hollis Court Boulevard, and veering off to go underneath Hempstead Avenue then surfacing and joining the Cross Island Parkway from Exit 26 onwards.
The Parkway would have to be rebuilt to accomodate trucks, but it could be done. This tunneled segment would be less prone to damage from flooding and require less mileage than the first proposal, nevertheless, Its unclear to me whether or not this would be built without public opposition.
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| Cross Island Parkway South of Exit 26 (Source:Google) |
Regardless of the path chosen, or even if it gets done, I do believe that the Cross Island Parkway South of Exit 26 and the Belt Parkway should be upgraded to allow trucks to use them. The Clearview Expressway was never built and trucks can only use the Van Wyck Expressway to travel to JFK Airport.
Beautiful concept, and indeed could be adapted. The only problem being as you are no doubt totally aware of is this raises the problems, not unlike Exit 38 on 495. We all know how many oversized trucks accidently wander on to the Northern State on a semi continuous basis. I feel this same would more than likely happen with Northbound vehicles at the Southern State Cutoff. But a wonderful concept nevertheless.
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