In 1963, Robert Moses built the Arthur V. Sheridan Expressway to connect the Bruckner Expressway (I-278) with the New England Thruway (I-95) in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Although the at-grade interstate roadway served its purpose by connecting major roadways in the Bronx, it also acted as a barrier between the communities to its west and the parkways and the Bronx River and its waterfront to its east.

A Historic Reconfiguration

The Arthur Sheridan Enhancement Project improved pedestrian and bicyclist connections to the Bronx River Greenway and enhanced community access to the greenway with the creation of a residential-friendly boulevard, complete with signal-controlled intersections and crosswalks that allow for safe road crossing.

What once was a barrier separating South Bronx residents from local amenities is now a unique success story and beacon for future innovative, straightforward street reconstruction designs." Michael Arotis

The project is the first New York State project to de-designate a federal interstate highway. In addition to introducing and improving pedestrian intersections and crosswalks, the project also reduces vehicular speed and eases traffic congestion on the Westchester Avenue exit ramp from the southbound Sheridan Expressway.

As a member of the AECOM/Dewberry (formerly URS/Goodkind)  joint venture, we were involved in both civil and structural capacities, including roadway designs—alignment, grading, pavement—rehabilitation design of retaining walls, and the design of wingwalls associated with a pedestrian bridge, which was designed in-house by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

Improving the South Bronx and Transportation Systems in New York City

Our involvement in the Sheridan Enhancement Project and adjacent Hunts Point Project – both part of New York’s $1.8-billion investment in the South Bronx—increased and strengthened our commitment to service with NYSDOT and New York City’s transportation network. We continue to serve NYSDOT and the transportation network with two additional major projects, the Eastbound Long Island Expressway Auxiliary Lane Widening and the I-95 Access Mobility and Connectivity Improvements, as well as the Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project Design-Build Contract 1 project.

The completion of the project was announced during a public meeting held in December 2019. Multiple political and civic leaders, including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, expressed their gratitude for the completion of the project, which won numerous awards, including the 2020 American Council of Engineering Companies of New York Engineering Excellence Platinum Award in the Transportation Category and a 2020 Merit Award for the Engineering News-Record’s Top NY Projects in the Highway/Bridge Category.