Access Management at a High-Volume Interchange

Abstract

Alternatives for improving operations and safety at the complex urban Highbridge Interchange of the Cross Bronx Expressway (Interstate 95) and the Major Deegan Expressway (Interstate 87) in New York City are presented. These alternatives were developed as part of the Bronx Arterial Needs Major Investment Study (BAN MIS) that is being performed for the New York State Department of Transportation. The unusually high levels of congestion on Interstate 95 and Interstate 87 required a high level of analysis and alternatives development for this location. This interchange experiences high levels of delay and accident frequency for several reasons. The interchange incorporates two of the most heavily used Interstate highways in the city, and both of these have a high volume of trucks. It includes or is adjacent to other heavily used facilities, including park-ways, other expressways, and high-volume local arterials and the George Washington Bridge (a 14-lane facility). Finally, it is sited in a part of the western Bronx and northern Manhattan of New York City that is severely constrained by adjacent land uses, severe grades, and elevation changes. The BAN MIS is exploring a wide range of strategies in the vicinity of Highbridge Interchange to improve traffic operations and safety. Strategies applied basic principles of access management to reduce conflicts and eliminate weaving, to separate through from local movements, and to maintain a hierarchy of roads by function. These principles are applicable to other interchange projects to help in developing alternatives for improving traffic operations and safety.