New York Roads - S. Mall Expwy.

South Mall Expressway, secret NY 913V


The South Mall Expressway would have continued US 9 and US 20 west from the Dunn Memorial Bridge and underneath the mall to a subterranean junction with the Mid-Crosstown Arterial at the eastern edge of Washington Park. Nothing was built into the city, though, so there's no route number attached to the South Mall Expressway except an afterthought reference route, 913V. The expressway's through lanes were never built, and the frontage roads (with ample mall parking lot access) are tied together with a hasty loop just west of the end of the mall. By the time you're done with this page, you will be at one with this highway.

First, drive both directions of the Expressway (video).


Westbound toward the avant-garde Empire State Mall, featuring the famous Egg, on the South Mall Expressway (reference route 913V). The second photo clearly shows the inner tunnels in disuse, and there are two traces of stubs for the inner roadways, which you can see below.

WB, a perfect description of the western end at Swan St.


Swan St. NB, with the mall towering to the right and a nondescript entrance ramp to the eastbound South Mall Expressway sinking to the left.


Looking west from the Swan St. onramp at the stub end of the Expressway. Needless to say, the tight Swan St. ramps would probably be eliminated with an Expressway extension to the west.


Continuing eastward, there are six tunnels here, not four, but the outer two are within the mall parking lot and would not have been used as part of the Expressway.


I would hope that if this were part of a continuous freeway, it would be better lit. Traffic really can't go much faster than 30 MPH here and still have adequate sight distance.


In the background of the first photo and the foreground of the second photo is the promised stub of the express lanes.


Continuing eastward toward the Dunn Memorial Bridge; when ramps merge with this freeway, it will become US 9/20, and then have a stub on the other end. Follow the US 9/20 link at the bottom of the page to see that stub. The first photo is courtesy Matt Kleiman.


Scenes from the EB-NB ramp to I-787; the sign in the last photo on the Dunn Bridge says All Traffic Must Exit 1/2 Mile, reflecting the bridge stub to come.


Courtesy Michael Summa, the EB offramp to NY 32 in 1973. NY 5 is a curious choice - the route would seem to be better signed to the left and via State St.


Finally, walking out of the now-Times Union Center, if you pick the right back hallways you come to a concrete-floored walkway with BGS's at the end. And yes, that's a lane stripe down the middle. This would have been part of the eastbound through lanes of the Expressway; instead, you walk outside onto the concrete deck, then down another flight of stairs to continue your journey on surface streets.


Peeks at the median and then at the wall separating through from mall-parking westbound lanes. Since it was dark outside, it was dark inside, but I tried to lighten the images as much as I could.

East onto US 9/20
Onto US 9 alone
Onto US 20 alone
Onto NY 32
To NY 5
Onto I-787
To the Albany Roadmeet page
Into Albany County
Back to NY Roads
Back to Roads