The Sheridan Expressway, also known as Interstate-895, is a short, 1.25 mile highway that links the Cross Bronx Expressway with the Bruckner Expressway.  The $9.5 million freeway project was planned by Robert Moses and named for his political ally, Arthur V. Sheridan [1].  It opened in 1962.  A source of urban decay and air pollution, the Sheridan Expressway is considered to be harmful to the South Bronx community and an ideal candidate for highway removal .  Community nonprofits such as the  Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance and Sustainable South Bronx have made its removal a top priority [2] .  

The Sheridan ranks at #2 on the list of the top ten Freeways Without Futures compiled by the Congress for the New Urbanism [3].  Like other freeways on the list, the Sheridan obstructs potentially valuable waterfront real estate (along the Bronx River).  CNU recommends that these freeways be replaced with boulevards and other urban amenities like housing, retail and park space.   They also note that the Sheridan only carries 45,000 cars daily, even less than nearby surface streets [3]. 

Traffic and congestion on Bronx expressways remain an ongoing problem.  The Cross-Bronx Expressway holds four of the eleven worst bottlenecks in the country, including one at its junction with the Sheridan [4].  Removing the Sheridan would help to ease traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway and facilitate truck transport there. 

Plan to Remove the Sheridan

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) would like to improve truck access to Hunts Point in the South Bronx, the nexus of New York City’s wholesale food distribution centers [6] .   Because many trucks reach this area via a Sheridan Expressway exit, the NYSDOT is considering two options:  Plan 1E would tear down the Sheridan and re-route trucks to a new exit ramp off of the Bruckner Expressway while Plan 2E would retain the Sheridan as a trucks-only route to the South Bronx’s wholesale outlets [5].   The NYSDOT is drafting Environmental Impact Statements for each option and plans a final decision by 2012 [6].

The Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance is the leading advocate for the community’s plan (Plan 1E), which would clear 28 acres along the Bronx River for housing, retail and open space. The group recognizes the need for a speedy truck route to Hunts Point and sees the Sheridan's removal as part of that improvement.   Currently, trucks exit the Sheridan Expressway and slowly weave through local streets, where they are a hazard to residents [7].  However, because a new Bruckner exit could simply divert truck traffic and pollution further south, a freight rail network may be the best long-term solution for transporting goods through New York's residential neighborhoods.