New York Roads - I-87 - Major Deegan Expwy.

Major Deegan Expressway


I-87 begins with a sharp curve from I-278 EB.


Looking south at the Third Avenue Bridge with no way to get there. It's between Exits 2 and 3.


Northward bridges: Metro North (railroad), 138th St. (Exit 3), Macombs Dam.


Whitestone? Throgs Neck? GWB? Deegan? Detour? Not much of a choice, here. The first photo is the scene outside Yankee Stadium, where there was construction on I-87 and associated feeder roads. The second photo was somewhere up above the highway near Yankee Stadium, and is gone now so I'll never get a better photo of that original sign. (87 South: Deegan Expwy., Triboro Br., ←)


Looking anywhere but straight ahead as I take NB Exit 5 next to Yankee Stadium. The truss just to the south crosses a Metro North railroad station and connects a parking lot with the Stadium grounds.


I-87 NB at and on Exit 7 in 1973, courtesy Michael Summa. Since this part of I-95 didn't open until 1964, these are definitely the original signs. And since they match most of the ones I've seen on I-95, I would venture to guess those are all originals too, even in 2008. I-87 manages to go through three sets of exit numbers - Major Deegan Expressway in New York City, New York Thruway from Westchester County to Albany, and Northway from there northward. So there are actually three Exit 7's. This is the first one.


I-87 SB exiting toward I-95, with a tricky original 1960s ramp sign (tough to spot even without the chronic traffic here, and non-reflective). The bridge in the foreground is the Washington Bridge, which predates the George Washington by many years (1889 versus 1963) and is so named because it crosses into Washington Heights. (Incidentally, the GWB also enters that neighborhood.) The bridge in the background (undergoing rehabilitation) is the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, carrying I-95. Both cross the Harlem River to the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, which, instead of being the namesake for a bridge, was named for the High Bridge (officially Aqueduct Bridge), part of the original system bringing fresh water into New York City. Because of this, both the I-87/I-95 and cross-river I-95/Harlem River Drive interchanges are called the Highbridge Interchange, but given that this one is on the Bronx side, the name seems more appropriately applied to I-87/95 only.


Passing underneath the Washington Bridge on that ramp.


Looking south from there with another view of the Hamilton Bridge and then yet a third arch bridge in the background. That one is the High Bridge itself. The Croton Aqueduct has been rerouted and bypassed, so it is now just historical eye candy.


Decision time, and traffic makes cars jump in odd directions. The stone arches ahead originally carried the Croton Aqueduct all the way across the Harlem River, but the central arches were replaced by the steel arch in 1928 for better navigation. The secondary benefit is that all three bridges within a few hundred feet of each other have complementary architecture.


The I-87 NB ramp to I-95 starts amidst views of the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The SB ramp gets a borderless stop sign at the ramp from I-87 SB, while the ramp to I-95 NB splits off and heads under Undercliff Ave.


Curving around the I-87 ramp to I-95 SB affords more views of the southeast side of the Washington Bridge. Traffic allows enough time for detailed photography. The construction on the Hamilton Bridge is designed to provide an acceleration lane for I-87, hopefully easing or eliminating the chronic 10-minute ramp delays (at a good hour).


Seen from the SB exit ramp, this is 230th St. over the Deegan at Exit 10.

Entering the Bronx near Exit 13, ironically with graffiti (plus, someone had to venture to the median to do it).


What appears to be a NYSTA state-name shield, which could be a first. Or maybe it's NYCDOT trying to do a favor for a state agency, because this shield is actually posted south of the Yonkers line where the jurisdiction changes and the Thruway begins, across from the shield atop the page.

Follow I-87 north to the NY Thruway
Back to the I-87 main page


South to the Triboro Bridge and I-278
Over to the Macombs Dam Bridge
Onto I-95
Up onto Washington Bridge
The Major Deegan on Steve Anderson's nycroads.com
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