Grand Central Parkway

Grand Central Parkway marker
Grand Central Parkway
Map
Map of New York City with Grand Central Parkway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length14.61 mi[1] (23.51 km)
Existed1933[2]–present
RestrictionsNo commercial vehicles east of exit 4
Major junctions
West end I-278 in Astoria
Major intersections
East end Northern State Parkway in Lake Success
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountiesQueens, Nassau
Highway system

The Grand Central Parkway (GCP) is a 14.61-mile (23.51 km) controlled-access parkway that stretches from the Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. At the Queens–Nassau border, it becomes the Northern State Parkway, which runs across the northern part of Long Island through Nassau County and into Suffolk County, where it ends in Hauppauge. The westernmost stretch (from the RFK Bridge to the BQE) also carries a short stretch of Interstate 278 (I-278). The parkway runs through Queens and passes the Cross Island Parkway, Long Island Expressway, LaGuardia Airport and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. The parkway is designated New York State Route 907M (NY 907M), an unsigned reference route. Despite its name, the Grand Central Parkway was not named after Grand Central Terminal.

The Grand Central Parkway has a few unique distinctions. It is only one of two parkways in New York State to carry an elliptical black-on-white design for its trailblazer, the other being the Henry Hudson Parkway, also in New York City. Other parkways in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island use the state-standard design, while the Belt-system parkways use a modified version of the Long Island regional parkway shield with the Montauk Point Lighthouse logo. In addition, it is one of the few parkways in the state to allow truck traffic to any extent. The section shared with I-278 allows for all trucks under 14 feet (4.3 m) high.

  1. ^ "2007 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  2. ^ "Lehman Will Open Parkways Today; New Road From Kew Gardens to Mineola to Relieve Auto Congestion in Queens. Cost $4,500,000 To Build. Moses, McAneny and Borough Heads to Inspect 12 Miles of Landscaped Highway." New York Times, July 15, 1933, Page 13; Baker, Matthew. "85 Years Ago Today... Grand Central Parkway Opened in Queens." It Happened Today in New York City, July 15, 2018.