I-278

I-278 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the United States that traverses portions of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Manhattan via multiple bridges, tunnels, and parkways. The route connects major crossings such as the Goethals Bridge, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, and the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge while serving intermodal hubs, commercial corridors, and port facilities. It functions as a vital urban artery linking Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and neighborhood centers across five boroughs.

Route description

I-278 begins at the New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95 (New Jersey) approach near the Bayonne Bridge corridor on Staten Island, proceeding eastward across the Goethals Bridge into Elizabeth, New Jersey connections and returning to New York City via the island network. Crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge it enters Bay Ridge, moves along the Gowanus Expressway adjacent to Gowanus Canal, Red Hook, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, then continues onto the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway skirting Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Long Island City, and the Queens Plaza complex. From Queens it uses the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly Triborough Bridge) to link Randall's Island and Ward's Island before crossing the Bronx sections via the Bruckner Expressway and terminating near the Bronx River Parkway and connections to Interstate 95 (New York) and Interstate 87 close to Van Cortlandt Park and regional arterial routes.

History

Early planning for radial and circumferential routes in the New York metropolitan area occurred during the 1939 New York World's Fair era and the Robert Moses–era parkway and expressway expansions, with proposals to link harbor crossings like the Triborough Bridge and the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 and subsequent Interstate expansions designated auxiliary routes, leading to the current alignment being numbered in the early 1960s and officially incorporated into the Interstate Highway System by the Federal Highway Administration. Major construction phases included the completion of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, reconstruction of the Bruckner Interchange in the 1970s, and later rehabilitations of the Gowanus Expressway and the Goethals Bridge replacement project in the 2010s. Urban redevelopment, port shifts at Port Newark and Howland Hook Marine Terminal, and policy decisions by the New York City Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have shaped corridor changes, tolling, and multimodal integration.

Exit list

The corridor features numerous interchanges linking to regional and local routes: western termini interface with the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 95 (New Jersey), mid‑island connections serve Staten Island Expressway, Richmond Avenue (Staten Island), and the Bay Ridge access points to Fort Hamilton, Belt Parkway, and Prospect Expressway. Brooklyn and Queens exits include ramps to Ocean Parkway, Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Queens Boulevard, and access to Long Island Expressway and Grand Central Parkway near LaGuardia Airport. The RFK Bridge complex provides links to FDR Drive and Manhattan connectors, while Bronx exits connect to Bruckner Boulevard, Hutchinson River Parkway, Pelham Parkway, and Major Deegan Expressway interchanges serving Van Nest, Parkchester, and industrial sectors. Several service roads and local ramps provide transfers to subway hubs like Jay Street–MetroTech, Court Square–23rd Street, and commuter rail stations.

Traffic and usage

I-278 serves dense commuter, freight, and port-oriented traffic, channeling vehicles between the Port Authority Bus Terminal catchment areas, container terminals at Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Howland Hook, and airport traffic for John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Peak congestion occurs on segments near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge toll plaza, the Gowanus Expressway adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn, and the Bruckner Interchange approaching Interstate 95 (New York), driven by commuter flows from Staten Island Ferry connections, cross-borough truck movements serving Newark Liberty International Airport logistics, and local passenger traffic toward Manhattan job centers. Studies and traffic models by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New York Metropolitan Transportation Council highlight high vehicle miles traveled, frequent incidents requiring New York City Fire Department and New York Police Department responses, and modal competition with Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit corridors.

Future plans and improvements

Planned and proposed projects include long-term replacement or rehabilitation programs for aging structures informed by the 2017 New York City Infrastructure Report, congestion mitigation proposals tied to tolling reforms studied by the Regional Plan Association, and multimodal integration initiatives coordinated with MTA Regional Bus Operations and NYC Ferry expansions. Major capital investments focus on sustaining the Goethals Bridge corridor, deck repairs on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, safety enhancements on the Gowanus Expressway, and interchange upgrades at the Bruckner Interchange to improve freight access to Howland Hook Marine Terminal and connectivity with Interstate 95 (New York). Community-led campaigns influenced by groups such as Transportation Alternatives and neighborhood coalitions in Williamsburg and Bay Ridge advocate for noise mitigation, air quality improvements, and redesigns to reclaim waterfronts adjacent to the corridor. Possible federal funding from programs administered by the United States Department of Transportation and discretionary grants could accelerate resilience projects addressing sea-level rise at low-lying spans near Raritan Bay and the East River.

Category:Interstate Highways in New York