How to Travel Interstate 278

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If you've ever been in northern New Jersey and wanted to head into New York's borough counties, chances are you've heard about taking I-278. This 35.62 miles (57.32 km) interstate passes through all the boroughs (including a part of Randall's Island just to New York County's eastern county edge) up into the Bronx, where it terminates at a humongous interchange with many different routes that you may take. Keep reading to follow this route and learn what to look out for along the way.

1

Travel in New Jersey.

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  1. In New Jersey, it doesn't travel very far (only 2.0 miles (3.2 km)) [1] from its western terminus with US-1&9) before it reaches another exit and continues onto the next step. However, when it leaves US1&9, it travels northeast until it reaches a complex interchange with I-95 and US-439, before it reaches another exit and crosses the bridge.
    • In Union County, expect exits for Linden (1) - though that's for US-1&9 S from westbound only, and Elizabeth (2, 3A-3B-3C).
      • There is a landmark building in this segment - the Bayway Refinery. However, other points of interest include the New Jersey Turnpike, Conrail Shared Assets Operations Chemical Coast Secondary Line, a Staten Island Railway line (freight), and the CSAO's Bayway Industrial Track. You will pass these all before touching the first bridge into the next state.
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2

Cross the Goethals Bridge.

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  1. This bridge crosses the Arthur Kill as a 6-lane cable-stayed bridge into the next state. It is maintained by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This bridge currently has a toll of $17.00 (pay-by-plate class 1) or $14.75/$12.75 (E-ZPass peak/off-peak) [2] heading eastbound, collected either through E-ZPass or by a pay-by-plate fee structure.
3

Travel in New York.

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  1. Inside New York, this highway crosses onto Staten Island (the only interstate that operates on this island) where it travels more southeast until it reaches Mid-Island. Here, it turns more east and heads to the end of Staten Island, then crosses a bridge and leads into Brooklyn (on Long Island). Turning further north and merging at the Belt Parkway exit, the highway later travels north by northeast again before reaching NY-27 (where it turns more northwest). I-478 then splits and runs more northeast, curving several more times until it reaches I-495 (now running north) until it merges with the Grand Central Parkway. Expect to turn northwest before crossing another bridge onto Randall's Island, and later into the Bronx, where it splits from the southern terminus of I-87. It runs northeast until it reaches its eastern terminus as part of the Bruckner Interchange with I-295, I-678, Hutchinson River Parkway, and a local road (Zerega Ave N).
    • Inside New York, the highway is unsigned with being a part of Interstate Route Connector 512, designated by New York Highway Law 340-A. [3]
    • In Richmond County (Staten Island), expect exits for Bloomfield (3D, 4, 5, 6), Graniteville-Bulls Head (7, 8, 9), Castleton Corners-Willowbrook (11, 12), Sunnyside-Park Hill (13), Concord-Rosebank (14), and Concord-Shore Acres (15W, 15S, 15N). This interstate in this county is officially named the Staten Island Expressway.
      • In this area, expect to pass under the Travis Branch of the Staten Island Railway along with access to NY-440/West Shore Expressway, which it concurs with before heading towards residential areas and an exit for Richmond Ave. It then splits from the concurrency until the next exit with Victory Blvd, providing a bus lane and serving a frontage road to Bradley Ave.
      • Following that, (at Todt Hill Rd/Slosson Ave, which was the original terminal of the bus lane of an HOV lane built in 2005, before heading through a wooded area and reaching Richmond Pky - an incomplete interchange) I-278 comes to the exits for Clove and Richmond Rds, before passing the Staten Island Railway and the Hylan Blvd (freeway), and later Lily Pond Rd and Bay St with the electronic toll plaza quickly thereafter.
      • This is one of the most congested highways in the New York City area. [4]
    • Cross the Narrows on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. This suspension bridge is tolled at $11.19 pay-by-plate or $6.94 EZPass (with a post-rebate reduction to $2.75 for proper mounting). [5]
      • This bridge has six lanes on the lower level and seven on the upper level - including one HOV lane. [6]
    • In Kings County (Brooklyn), expect exits for Bay Ridge (16, 17, 18, 19), Sunset Park(20, 21, 22), Greenwood Heights (23, 24), Red Hook (25, 26), Brooklyn Heights (27, 28A), Downtown Brooklyn (28B, 29A, 29B), Clinton Hill (30), Williamsburg (31, 32A, 32B), and Greenpoint (33, 34).
      • Quickly after it crosses the bridge, this highway officially becomes the Gowanus Expressway and comes to an eastbound exit for the Belt Pky before other full interchanges for 92nd St. One of the eastbound lanes becomes the HOV lane towards the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. It then heads through residential areas, with interchanges at Ft Hamilton Pky and 86th St, then a partial interchange with 65th St, before heading northwest to provide an exit for 3rd Ave and Belt Pky.
      • As it continues, it runs through urban and commercial areas via an elevated viaduct with exits to 38th and 39th Sts and NY-27/Prospect Expy, and widens to serve the exit for the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel approach/I-478 (yet westbound access is through Hamilton Ave exit 26 near the polluted Gowanus Canal area). [7]
      • After this point, the highway becomes the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway as it heads north through urban areas near Brooklyn, and reduces to 2 lanes between Atlantic Ave/Brooklyn Bridge. After reaching Atlantic Ave and running along the East River Harbor to create the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, it turns east and serves the Brooklyn Bridge and Cadman Plz, before turning southeast to the Manhattan Bridge.
      • It then serves Tillary St-Flushing Ave, before passing into residential areas and turning northeast to come to Wythe & Kent Avenues. Expect to head through Williamsburg and reach an exit for the Williamsburg Bridge and Metropolitan Ave. The highway becomes elevated thereafter, and you'll see an exit for Humboldt St/McGuinness Blvd. It passes through industrial areas to come to the Meeker-Morgan Ave exit.
    • Cross Newtown Creek on the Kosciusko Bridge. This cable-stayed bridge is toll-less.
    • In Queens County, expect exits for Long Island City (35), Woodside (39, 40), Jackson Heights (41) East Elmhurst (42, 43), and Astoria (44B, 44A, 45).
      • In this county, the highway contains two named parts. It starts with the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway but becomes the Grand Central Parkway when it runs with Astoria Blvd as a frontage road. [8]
      • The highway heads north through residential areas and comes to the I-495 exit, turns east before coming to New Calvary Cemetery, then more northeast coming to NY-25 (Queens Blvd) and passing under Long Island Rail Road's Main Line, and turns north for Broadway and Roosevelt Ave.
      • It then heads into a viaduct, reaching NY-25A before splitting its segments and merging onto the Grand Central Parkway (with Astoria Blvd accessed from both legs).
      • As the Grand Central Parkway, this interstate turns west and serves as a frontage road, before coming into the depression and passing Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and New York City Subway's BMT Astoria Line before the overlap ends at 31st St exit (exit 45)
    • Cross the East River on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, formerly the Triborough Bridge. [9] The eastbound suspension span has an eastbound toll of $11.19 (pay-by-plate) or $6.94 (EZPass) - much like most of the other bridges in New York's counties. [10]
    • In New York County (Manhattan), expect exits for Randall's Island (46A, 46B).
      • In this area, you'll jostle north through Wards Island Park and east of Manhattan Psychiatric Center, and pass the former toll plaza for RFK Bridge's opposite-direction toll (with access to FDR Dr).
    • Cross the RFK Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge) truss span across Hell Gate/Bronx Kill. This truss bridge is also tolled. The westbound suspension span has an eastbound toll of $11.19 (pay-by-plate) or $6.94 (EZPass) - much like most other bridges in New York's borough counties. [11] Otherwise, no other toll will be charged here.
    • In Bronx County (Bronx), expect exits for Port Morris (47, 48), Hunts Point (49, 50), Soundview (51, 52), Unionport (53), and Throggs Neck (at its eastern terminus, 54-55). This interstate in this county is officially named the Bruckner Expressway.
      • In this area, the biggest interchange is Exit 47 - the first one in Bronx County. Here, you'll find the southern terminus of I-87 (at that point called the Major Deegan Expressway).
      • You'll encounter some small industrial areas and residences, then 138th St's exit, before losing NY-895 and going into other neighborhoods before crossing the Bronx River's drawbridge before interchanging with Hunts Point Ave and Bronx River Parkway, then encountering White Plains Rd & Castle Hill Ave.
      • Lastly, you'll encounter the eastern terminus at the Bruckner Interchange, as the Expressway becomes I-95 towards the New England Thruway, along with I-295, I-678, and the Hutchinson.
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      Tips

      • This interstate never connects to its parent interstate I-78, though there were scrapped plans to extend it to I-78 at Springfield, NJ that never got completed. Some of the segments did open in 1969 under a different route naming plan. [12]
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      • Inside New York's bridges, prepare for higher tolls if you come with an E-ZPass from out of state and without the NYSC tier attached to your E-ZPass account and isn't properly mounted. Tolls that were $6.94 E-ZPass can expect to increase to $9.11 one-way. [13]
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      • This highway provides the most direct route between New Jersey and Brooklyn/Long Island. [14]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_ 278
      2. ↑ https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/goethals-bridge.html
      3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      5. ↑ https://mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/tolls-2023
      6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      9. ↑ https://maps.app.goo.gl/ji87HYXC4QzrTVad7
      1. ↑ https://mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/tolls-2023
      2. ↑ https://mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/tolls-2023
      3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278
      4. ↑ https://mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/tolls-2023
      5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_278

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