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96-712: The Taconic State Parkway (often called the Taconic or the TSP ) is a 104.12-mile (167.56 km) limited-access parkway between Kensico Dam and Chatham , the longest in the U.S. state of New York . It follows a generally north–south route midway between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines, much of its upper section along the westernmost flank of the Taconic Mountains . It

192-583: A drive just for the fun of it" and "unquestionably among the most scenic roadways in the Northeast, winding along the Hudson Valley with a painter's eye for landscape and a gearhead's idea of fun." The Lonely Planet New York State guidebook calls it a "highway masterpiece". The parkway's engineering principles evolved over the four decades it took to build, with northern sections reflecting improvements in construction technology and lessons learned from

288-549: A fairly recent addition to a complex network of roads. China's first expressway was built in 1988. Until 1993, very few expressways existed. The network is expanding rapidly after 2000. In 2011, 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) of expressways were added to the network. The Expressways of Pakistan are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed highways in Pakistan, which are owned, maintained and operated federally by Pakistan's National Highway Authority . They are one class lower than

384-744: A half mile (0.80 km) north of that exit, northbound traffic can also exit, and southbound traffic enters, at Pines Bridge Road. The roadways grow far apart over the next mile before coming together again at the NY ;134 exit, as Turkey Mountain , one of the Manhattan Hills, looms ahead. The Taconic then enters Yorktown , the last town along the Taconic in Westchester County, and split again until they are 1,500 feet (460 m) apart, with neighborhoods and houses between them, to

480-587: A long curve to the east and back. At Nine Partners Road, the Taconic is back on a northward heading as it slips east of the Stanford town line. It begins to climb onto the high ground between the Hudson and the Taconic Mountains to the east. To the west there are occasional glimpses across the river valley to the Catskill Escarpment to the west. From here the parkway bends eastward again, entering

576-581: A maximum design speed of more than 60 km/h (37 mph), excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic. Oversized vehicles are banned. The construction of transregional Kraftfahrstraßen highways ( Autostraßen ) rank below the standard of German autobahns . With regard to the general German speed limits , on roads with lanes separated by a median or with a minimum of two marked lanes per direction, an advisory speed limit ( Richtgeschwindigkeit ) of 130 km/h (81 mph) applies. At-grade intersections are admissible, regulation at junctions

672-629: A now-closed overlook on the eastern side, with the two roadways 500 feet (150 m) apart in the densely wooded country, signs on both roadways mark the Taconic's highest elevation, almost 1,200 feet (370 m) above sea level. A short distance beyond that, a stone bridge marks the NY 301 exit that serves as the main access to the state park and the bathing area and hiking trails at nearby Canopus Lake . The parkway begins to descend again, entering its last Putnam County town, Kent . It bends east again, and within two miles (3.2 km) it crosses into Dutchess County . Continuing its easterly slant,

768-850: A space that is not accessible to vehicles, the drivers may not drive on the lane opposite to them. In Croatia , the term brza cesta (lit. "fast road") is used to describe a motor vehicle-only road, usually grade-separated , without an emergency lane , with a speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph), although it can be lowered, usually to 70 or 90 km/h (43 or 56 mph). They range from 2+2 lane dual carriageways with grade-separated intersections and 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit ( D2 in Osijek ), four or six-lane urban streets with at-grade intersections with traffic lights ( D1 in Karlovac ) or two-lane single carriageways with grade-separated intersections ( D33 in Šibenik ). They are either

864-610: A standalone state road ( D10 ) or a part of one (Southern Osijek bypass, D2 ). Some portions of motorways are expressways since they are either in construction ( A8 between Pazin and Matulji ) or designed as such ( A7 in Rijeka ). As a rule, the expressways are not tolled, however major tunnels on expressways are tolled. Expressways in the Czech Republic ( Czech : Silnice pro motorová vozidla , are defined as dual carriageways with smaller emergency lane. The speed limit

960-440: A steep ridge, narrowing to less than 100 feet (30 m), with a high stone retaining wall along the east side, to Peekskill Hollow Creek and the exit for the similarly named road, briefly entering the town of Carmel in the process. It starts to climb again just past the exit, and 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) to the north it goes into an S-curved section with both segments having extremely narrow radii. The Taconic moves to

1056-480: A wide valley carved by a tributary of the Hudson, the first place where the road begins to respond to the increasing relief of the landscape. The Taconic then passes through undeveloped woods, part of another local park, and under a footbridge carrying a hiking trail. Curving northeast, the exits for NY 132 and US 6 (recently improved), with residences on either side of the parkway, herald Shrub Oak and Jefferson Valley . A short distance past that exit,

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1152-461: Is 100 km/h (summertime) and 80 km/h (wintertime). On motorways the speed limits are 120 and 100 km/h respectively. Especially during winter the speed limits can be changed due to weather conditions. A Kraftfahrstrasse ( German for "motor-power road", also colloquially called Schnellstraße , literally "fast road") in Germany is any road with access limited to motor vehicles with

1248-594: Is 110 km/h (70 mph). Expressway road signs are white on blue. In Denmark , a 'motortrafikvej' ( Danish for "motor traffic road") is a high-speed highway with a speed limit between 80–90 km/h (50–56 mph). The most common 'motortrafikvej' has two lanes (1+1) or 2+1. There is no grade intersections. The signs for 'motortrafikvej' have white text on blue background. In Finland , highways are separated into three categories: all-access valtatie ("main road"), limited-access moottoriliikennetie ("motor traffic road") and finally moottoritie ("motorway");

1344-404: Is a public road, the beginning of which is indicated by the first signboard (F9) and the end by the second sign (F11). An important difference with an autosnelweg is that crossroads as well as traffic lights can be on an autoweg . In Belgium there is no specific speed regulation for an autoweg . Only motor vehicles and their trailers (with the exception of mopeds), agricultural vehicles and

1440-487: Is accessed via cross roads or frontage roads , while minor roads can cross at grade and farms can have direct access. This definition is also used by some states, some of which also restrict freeways only to motor vehicles capable of maintaining a certain speed. Some other states use "controlled access" to mean a higher standard than "limited access", while others reverse the two terms. While Australia 's larger capital cities feature controlled-access highway networks,

1536-643: Is between 50–70 km/h (31–43 mph) and in rural and desert areas between 90–110 km/h (56–68 mph). The term Expressway as used in English in Japan refers to both freeway -style highways and narrower, more winding, often undivided Regional High-Standard Highways 地域高規格道路 ( ちいきこうきかくどうろ ) . Both types of expressways have a combined length of 10,021 km (6,227 mi) as of April 2012. Limited-access roads in Malaysia usually, but not always, take

1632-457: Is on the west side, with the downtown area on the east. It is the only densely developed community the road goes through rather than near. After crossing under the stone arch bridge carrying Legion Drive over the parkway, the first of many such rustic overpasses, the Taconic begins a long section going past Gate of Heaven Cemetery and paralleling the railroad tracks past the small Mount Pleasant Metro-North train station, built to allow access to

1728-490: Is open only to passenger vehicles, as with other parkways in New York, and maintained by the state Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the fourth agency to have that responsibility. Franklin D. Roosevelt , who had long envisioned a scenic road through the eastern Hudson Valley , was instrumental in making it a reality as a way to provide access to existing and planned state parks in the region. Its winding, hilly route

1824-431: Is reduced to 110 km/h for vehicles under 3.5 tons, and 70 km/h for vehicles over 3.5 tons. In Hungary there are multiple types of dual carriageways. One part is almost identical with motorways, but the driving lanes are narrower. Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway off-habitat area: Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway in habitat (town/city) area: There are also semi-motorways with only one side of

1920-400: Is similar to that in northern Dutchess, with more views opening up in the north as the road levels out. The surrounding farms and woods get more extensive. After entering the county, the Taconic continues due north through the town of Gallatin through unbroken woods. It bends slightly to the intersection with CR 8 to pass the beach at Lake Taghkanic State Park , with the access road for

2016-787: Is the last before the Thruway tolls at the end of the road. The last exit for Rock City Road is open only to southbound traffic, allowing commercial vehicles that have ventured onto the parkway to exit. A toll gantry for exit B2 on the Berkshire Section of the New York State Thruway ( I-90 ), marks the administrative end of the Taconic State Parkway, 104 miles (167 km) from Kensico Circle. Landscape architects such as Gilmore Clarke worked closely with engineers and construction crews during

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2112-475: Is the notion of engineering as an art form that can in some way embellish or even improve upon nature: there is no radical disjuncture here but a sense of aesthetic progression and purity of form. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with sections of the road modified from its original design and the rest areas mostly gone, writers for The New York Times have variously described the Taconic as "a pleasure to use, evoking those bygone days when people went for

2208-912: Is thought to be the privately built Long Island Motor Parkway in Long Island , New York. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened in 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened in 1936). In the United States , the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) uses "full control of access" only for freeways . Expressways are defined as having "partial control of access" (or semi-controlled access ). This means that major roads typically use interchanges and commercial development

2304-515: Is usually provided by traffic lights or roundabouts . U-turns and any deliberate stopping are prohibited. Kraftfahrstraßen are out of bounds to pedestrians , except for special crosswalks. Expressways in Hungary are called Autóút (Auto/car road). They are mostly dual carriageways. The main difference between Hungarian motorways and expressways is, that they are more cheaply built with narrower width and often undivided. Maximum speed limit

2400-692: The Indian National Highway System on which they are the highest class of road. The National Highways Development Project is underway to add an additional 18,637 km (11,580 mi) of expressways to the network by the year 2023. Expressways in Iran are one class lower than freeways and are used in large urban areas such as Isfahan , Mashhad , or Tehran and between other important cities (Usually two province capitals) in rural and desert areas. The speed limit in Urban areas

2496-600: The Kensico Reservoir despite protests from the community lasting for the rest of the century, and the community that replaced it was named "Valhalla." The current station house was built in 1890, and at some point was converted into a restaurant. As with most of the Harlem Line, the merger of New York Central with Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 transformed the station into a Penn Central Railroad station. Penn Central's continuous financial despair throughout

2592-481: The NY 23 exit near the hamlet of Martindale. It bends from the northerly heading back to the northeast to cross into Philmont over the next three miles (4.8 km), where NY 217 comes to its eastern terminus at the exit with the Taconic. Past a rise beyond that exit, there are scenic overlook parking areas on both sides of the highway with panoramic views west to the Catskills. The road curves into

2688-471: The State Senate in 1910, Roosevelt had toured the district in a car, still not common in the area, the first candidate to do so. He became more interested in the possibilities of automobile touring ten years later when, paralysis resulting from polio having cost the effective use of his legs, Roosevelt began frequently taking his friends on such trips around the region. During them, he began pondering

2784-1077: The federal government . Notable examples of limited-access roads are the Federal Highway , Skudai Highway , Gelugor Highway , Kuantan Bypass and Kuching Bypass . Limited-access roads in Singapore are formally known as semi-expressways (in contrast to controlled-access highways which are known as expressways ). While still functioning as high-speed roads, semi-expressways may still have at-grade intersections with traffic lights , and speed limits are not uniform. Grade separation is, however, still typical at major junctions. Five roads have been designated as semi-expressways: Bukit Timah Road , Jurong Island Highway , Nicoll Highway , Outer Ring Road System and West Coast Highway . Motorways in South Korea (자동차 전용 도로, jadongcha jeonyong doro , literally 'motor vehicle-only road') include various grades of highways other than expressways . Contrary to

2880-561: The 1940s. The Taconic's character changes with its surroundings. In the busy suburbs of its first few miles, it is a narrow at-grade roadway, paralleling a commuter rail line through a small downtown. Soon after that, it becomes a wide divided highway, with median strips and gentle turn radii similar to an Interstate Highway carrying much commuter traffic. In the Hudson Highlands , it narrows again as it curves back and forth and climbs up and down quickly to its highest point. When

2976-546: The 1970s forced them to turn over their commuter service to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority which made it part of Metro-North in 1983. Prior to Metro-North Railroad's electrification of this section of the Harlem Line in 1984, service at the station had been greatly reduced compared to other similar stations. In the late 1970s, weekday service was about half that of most other stations north of North White Plains, and weekend service

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3072-544: The Interstate Highway, the parkway bends to the northwest and starts to assume the character it retains through most of Dutchess County, with a wider, intermittently cleared median and gentler turns (their radii reaching almost 23,000 feet (7,000 m), more than twice that of the widest curve in Putnam County), taking it through the now lower hills. There are still no shoulders. A closed rest area sits in

3168-546: The M31 Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne, are almost all limited-access highways. In spite of this, 'freeway' terminology is used on signage for most regional limited access highways in the state of Victoria . The terms Motorway and Expressway in New Zealand both encompass multi-lane divided freeways as well as narrower 2 to 4-lane undivided expressways with varying degrees of grade separation ;

3264-497: The Taconic "as lovely an integration of highway engineering and landscape architecture as one could hope to find". Commenting on this years later, architecture critic Matthew Gandy wrote: Clarke's design for the Taconic State Parkway, for example, provides a vivid example of a new kind of mediation among nature, technology and society, with what appears to be a delicate balance between the new infrastructural project and an imaginary natural order. Implicit within this aesthetic dialectic

3360-555: The Taconic New York State's longest parkway. The Taconic begins at Kensico Circle, just south of Kensico Dam , in the town of North Castle , also the northern terminus of the Bronx River Parkway . The roadway here is a narrow, four-lane expressway . It curves northwest to a traffic light at Cleveland Street in the hamlet of Valhalla . The Valhalla station on Metro-North Railroad 's Harlem Line

3456-585: The Taconic starts leveling out in Dutchess County, the largest county segment of any of the four counties along the road, entering the town of East Fishkill . Just south of the Miller Hill Road exit, the first in the county, the road widens, with grassy slopes on its east side. At this point the hills farther north are visible in the distance, and the valley to the west, between Hosner and Shenandoah mountains, opens up occasional scenic vistas to

3552-507: The Taconic's construction, often on site. Some features of the road's design address practical considerations and increase safety. Curves that climbed or descended were banked to increase vehicle traction and permit better drainage. Likewise the curves in undulating terrain are located to reduce blind spots at crests and keep the sharpest turns out of valleys. These also make sure that views of distant landscapes open up on downgrades and on long curves, when they are less distracting. Closer to

3648-627: The automobile in American society and the demand for more public parks near crowded cities. Two separate agencies, the Taconic State Park Commission (TSPC) and Westchester County Parks Commission (WCPC), were its initial constructors, building different segments. In time a state authority would take over from them both, and then 18 years later itself yield up to its current administrator, the state Department of Transportation . It would take nearly four decades to complete from

3744-605: The change in its role from park access route and scenic drive to important regional transportation artery. Immigration and industrialization caused a major increase in New York City's population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the summertime, many of these newer residents began looking for places to get away from the hot city and the densely populated tenements they lived in. The city's own parks and beaches were often overcrowded. Automobiles became more affordable, and by 1917 there were more cars than horses in

3840-531: The city. Drivers began taking to low-quality roads in search of parks outside the city, but were often disappointed after long drives to find that most of those parks were closed to nonresidents. In 1900, New York and New Jersey had jointly acquired the Palisades , the cliffs along the west side of the Hudson in both states, to protect them from further damage due to quarrying . Making it a park for city residents to visit on hot summer weekends had not been part of

3936-407: The commission relied on state DPW engineers for the rest of the construction. Most of the original parkway was surfaced in reinforced concrete . Officials favored it despite its higher initial cost as compared to asphalt since it was less likely to need repair over its 50-year lifespan and reflected more light at night, improving safety. Asphalt was used for repaving of segments to the south; today

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4032-492: The country's motorways and are usually upgraded versions of the national highways. The total length of Pakistan's expressways is 260-kilometre (160 mi) as of November, 2016. Around 770-kilometre (480 mi) of expressways are currently under construction in different parts of country. Most of these expressways will be complete between 2017 and 2020. Expressways in India make up more than 5,579  km (3,467  mi ) of

4128-519: The difference being that in New Zealand a Motorway has certain additional legal traffic restrictions. The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is the longest highway system in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). By the end of 2016, the total length of China's expressway network reached 131,000 kilometers (82,000 mi). Expressways in China are

4224-699: The early 1960s. In 2005, the entire highway, including its supporting structures, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic importance in the development of parkways in the 20th century, and Roosevelt's role in creating it. It is the second-longest continuous road listed on the Register after Virginia's Skyline Drive , and the longest limited-access highway. The parkway continues to provide access to several state parks, including Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park . It has also become an important regional artery, one of

4320-589: The early days of construction. Some aspects of the original road remained consistent from end to end. The Westchester County sections were laid out by the county's parks commission based on the parkways they had already designed. Its engineers later worked on the design of the upper sections. In its early days, the Taconic State Parks Commission (TSPC) lacked the money to hire a full engineering staff, in spite of terrain that presented some major challenges. Its engineer, E.J. Howe, on loan from

4416-532: The east in the process then resumes its roughly northward heading up the Roaring Creek valley into Clarence Fahnestock State Park . For the next 5.5 miles (8.9 km) it will cross this 14,000-acre (5,700 ha) protected area of the eastern Hudson Highlands , with no development visible from the highway. The roadways begin to separate as the parkway's ascent continues through heavily wooded terrain past rocky cliffs and outcrops between two lakes. Next to

4512-447: The east. Just north of it, a short fork allows traffic to divert to NY 9A and 100, which split away toward Ossining . The Taconic continues north through a minimally developed area of low hills, past another exit serving Pleasantville, and then across another town line into New Castle . Route 100 returns to parallel the highway on the west again, then joins NY 133 at the next exit, serving Ossining and Millwood . About

4608-600: The establishment of the New York and Harlem Railroad , which installed a station named "Davis Brook," but by 1851 the name had been changed to " Kensico ." The NY&H became part of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in 1864 and eventually taken over by the New York Central Railroad . By the late-1880s Kensico and the rail line that ran through it were relocated to make way for

4704-500: The expressway in South Korea, the status of motorway is a measure of traffic control rather than a class of road. For example, Jayu-ro is a segment of national route 77 as well as a motorway. As of June 2011, 1,610 km of highways in total were designated as motorways. (1,052 km national highways, 351 km metropolitan highways, 185 km regional highways and 20 km municipal highways) Like on expressways, motorcycles are not permitted. Sri Lanka has ensured to classify

4800-427: The expressways in reference to the connotation of E grades. As of 2014 , three expressways namely the  E01   Southern Expressway ,  E02   Outer Circular Expressway and the  E03   Colombo – Katunayake Expressway have been created. A tax levying structure is proposed for travelling via the expressways. Speed limits in the range of 80–100 km/h is attested for travelling through

4896-708: The expressways. Up to now two expressways namely the Northern Expressway and the Ruwanpura Expressway are in process to satisfy the needs of public transport. [REDACTED] Expressways in Taiwan may be controlled-access highways similar to National Freeways or limited-access roads. Most have Provincial (as opposed to National) Highway status, although some are built and maintained by cities. All provincial expressways run east–west except for Provincial Highway No. 61 , which runs north–south along

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4992-483: The idea of a north–south parkway through the eastern Hudson Valley. In 1922, as part of its political reform efforts, the New York State Association (NYSA) published A State Park Plan For New York , the first such comprehensive plan for any state's parks. New York's few parks at that time had been managed by a loose combination of public and private interests, and all the land had been donated to

5088-495: The initial parkway proposal by TSPC chair Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1925 to the opening of the last segment in 1963, due in part to a lengthy hiatus resulting from World War II . Construction technology and highway design standards changed during the construction of the road, changes whose effect is still visible to drivers today. Since its completion it has been renovated, particularly in Dutchess and Westchester counties, reflecting

5184-636: The lack of one or more required features. In absence of specific regulation signs, a type-C road is accessible by all vehicles and pedestrians, even if it has separate carriageways and no cross-traffic. Valhalla (Metro-North station) Valhalla station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad 's Harlem Line , located in Mount Pleasant, New York . Rail service in Valhalla can be traced as far back as 1846, with

5280-446: The landscape." Albany-born novelist William Kennedy , whose family frequently drove the Taconic during his childhood to visit relatives farther south, called it "a 110-mile [180 km] postcard. It's the most beautiful road I've ever known—in all seasons." "You can drive it with confidence", said automotive writer David E. Davis . "There are no bad surprises about the way the road is engineered." Landscape architect Garret Eckbo called

5376-487: The last decades, with residential subdivisions and golf courses replacing the silos and haystacks as landmarks off the road. A long curve back to the northwest again takes the Taconic to the first of its two interchanges with NY 82 , at Arthursburg. Almost a mile to its north, the Arthursburg Road at-grade crossing was closed, and a southbound off-ramp and on-ramp were built. The road bends back north into

5472-469: The latter two are marked with green signage, while valtatie signage is blue. While most of the network is all-access road, 779 km (484 mi) of it is motorway, and 124 km (77 mi) is limited-access road. The access is limited to motor vehicles faster than 50 km/h, thus excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic; furthermore, towing is not allowed. Limited-access roads are generally similar to motorways, but do not fulfill all

5568-480: The lower sections of the Taconic, save for sections like Fahnestock State Park where designers used them to enhance the scenic capabilities of the road and create recreational opportunities. As the road was extended north during the 1930s, it became clear that the wider medians improved safety without sacrificing beauty, and starting with the NY 52 exit in East Fishkill they were made a standard element of

5664-461: The median between I-84 and the NY 52 exit two miles (3.2 km) farther north. The road then bends back toward the northeast, reverting to a four-lane expressway , narrowing again through some wooded stretches over the next few miles to the Beekman Road ( County Route 9 or CR 9) exit. This area, rural and agricultural when the highway was built, has become more developed in

5760-458: The motorway built. After the missing lanes are built, they will become standard motorways. A High-quality dual carriageway (HQDC) in Ireland is normally completed to a motorway standard, including no right-turns, but with no motorway restrictions. These are common on the final stretches of motorways nearing a major city, generally in order to enable use of bus stops and city bus services on

5856-401: The name highway ( Malay : lebuhraya – this is also the name for expressways ). Highways normally have a lower speed limit than expressways (but still higher than the rest of the local road network), and permit at-grade intersections and junctions to residential roads and shopfronts, although grade separation is still typical. Highways are normally toll-free and are owned and operated by

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5952-469: The north separates that grade crossing from the one with Hollow Road ( CR 14 ) and takes the road into the town of Clinton . Another half-mile (800 m) north, at the next exit, NY 115 has its eastern terminus while Salt Point Turnpike continues. A slight western slant continues as the parkway traverses a landscape now thoroughly rural, with fields and woodlots alternating. Two more grade crossings, at Willow and Pumpkin lanes, follow through

6048-536: The north, after a small interchange with NY 141 , a three-level stack interchange allows access to the Saw Mill River Parkway northbound (and southbound from the southbound lanes). North of the interchange power lines and Saw Mill River Road ( New York State Route 9A or NY 9A and NY 100 ) on the west parallel the parkway past undeveloped Graham Hills County Park. The next exit, at Bedford Road ( NY 117 ), serves Pleasantville to

6144-518: The original concrete remains only between the US ;44 and northern NY 82 exits. The changes in the design of the northern Taconic also reflect higher speeds that mid-century automobiles were capable of, and improvements in construction technology. The track -equipped steam shovels that broke ground for the first section in Putnam County in 1931 were the most advanced excavators of

6240-472: The park leaving to the east at grade from the northbound lanes where the highway enters the town of Taghkanic . Another half-mile (800 m) to the north is the second interchange with NY 82. North of that exit, the parkway bends to the northeast again, paralleling the orientation of the county as a whole. It crosses briefly into the town of Claverack , then back into Taghkanic before reentering Claverack as it heads due east briefly, then north again into

6336-410: The parkway and carrying it over roads, were faced in native stone. Grade intersections, usually a feature engineers tried to avoid, which initially helped keep local east–west routes open and connect the parkway to the landscape it traversed, have since either been closed or replaced by overpasses. As a result, the Taconic has been the subject of much praise over the years not only for its vistas but for

6432-407: The parkway crosses into Putnam County . The road narrows shortly after the county line in the town of Putnam Valley , with the roadways reverting to two lanes and the shoulders replaced by soft curbs, in preparation for the rugged terrain of the next 12 miles (19 km). From this point north, the original design of the Taconic is still intact for the most part, aside from safety improvements like

6528-423: The parkway until it reaches one of its straightest stretches, which then curves to the first grade-separated exit in several miles, US 44 , the other main route to Poughkeepsie, between Millbrook and Pleasant Valley. The road passes through a much more wooded area as it makes a long curve into its next junction, the grade intersection at Hibernia Road. A bridge over Wappinger Creek 0.1 miles (160 m) to

6624-481: The parkway's design. Wider medians were also a lot easier to build in Dutchess and Columbia counties, as the land is much flatter than in Putnam County. When the parkway was modernized and widened in Westchester County, wide medians were installed for most of the length between the Sprain Brook Parkway and the Putnam County line. The Taconic came into being as a result due to the increasing presence of

6720-431: The particular stretch of road. Speed limits are normally 100 km/h compared to 120 km/h on motorways In Italy there are: Type B highway (or strada extraurbana principale ), commonly but unofficially known as superstrada , is a divided highway with at least two lanes for each direction, paved shoulder on the right, no cross-traffic and no at-grade intersections. Access restrictions on such highways are exactly

6816-572: The plan, but it quickly became one. Many residents could not get to it because of insufficient ferry capacity. Its success as a park led to the establishment of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the construction of Palisades Interstate Parkway to allow nonstop drives through scenic and wooded areas through Palisades Park up to the Bear Mountain Bridge . During his successful campaign for

6912-548: The primary routes to northern New England and the Capital Region of New York from the Hudson Valley , New York City and Long Island . The southern sections, particularly in Westchester County, have become a commuter route into the city for residents who moved into towns that became suburbanized as a result of the parkway. The state and regional transportation planners have worked to adapt to this change since

7008-581: The removal of all at-grade intersections. Curves become sharper, with the widest having a radius of 11,459 feet (3,493 m). It remains generally level for the first two miles (3.2 km), past the Bryant Pond Road exit serving Mahopac . The land around the road is heavily wooded and less developed than in Westchester. One mile (1.6 km) to the north, the road begins to descend 350 feet (110 m) in 1.1 miles (1.8 km) alongside

7104-556: The road returns to a northerly course, an exit allows entrance to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park . It is followed by the Crompond Road ( U.S. Route 202 or US 202 and NY 35 ) exit, which serves Peekskill to the west as well as Yorktown. Just beyond it, the Bear Mountain State Parkway , a legacy of the Taconic's original planned route and purpose, leaves to the west as the road drops into

7200-504: The road, on the northern sections in Columbia and Dutchess counties, the road was routed to showcase a nearby view of wooded hillside or a farm. Since trucks were not permitted on the road—for some time, this even included privately owned pickup trucks used solely for personal use—in many sections tree branches overhang the roadways, creating a park-like canopy. The curve of the northbound AMVETS Memorial Bridge over Croton Reservoir echoes

7296-581: The same of Italian motorways ( autostrade ), as well as signage at the beginning and the end of the highway (with the only difference being the background color, blue instead of green). Speed limit on type-B road is 110 km/h (68 mph). Type C highway (or strada extraurbana secondaria ), a single carriageway with at least one lane for each direction and shoulders. It may have at-grade, at-level crossings with railways , roundabouts and traffic lights . This category contains also dual carriageways that can not be classified as type-B highways because of

7392-491: The smaller metropolitan areas mostly rely on limited-access highways for high-speed local traffic. In South Australia the terms "expressway" and "freeway" can be synonymous. The Southern and Northern Expressways are both controlled-access highways. However, perhaps confusingly, the Port River Expressway is a limited-access highway. Dual carriageways that connect capital cities and regional centres, such as

7488-596: The southbound lanes via an underpass with on/off ramp. The two roadways descend and come together again by the Mountain Road grade crossing. It climbs a hill after the McDonnell Road crossing, then descends to the Rossway Road crossing. A quarter-mile (400 m) to the north, a dead-end road leaves the northbound lanes for the nearby Taconic–Hereford Multiple Use Area. Several other local roads cross

7584-468: The state since the legislature would not appropriate money for any park outside a city. Limited-access road The first implementation of limited-access roadways in the United States was the Bronx River Parkway in New York , in 1907. The New York State Parkway System was constructed as a network of high-speed roads in and around New York City . The first limited access highway built

7680-427: The state's Department of Public Works (DPW), frequently complained about the commission's directive that he plan a route only where it had the land or expected to buy it, instead of planning a route and then buying the land. He also began negotiations with landowners, and his position was eliminated from the commission's budget after three years. His successor clashed with his superiors as well, and after he left in 1933

7776-505: The surrounding cemetery of that name. The road then becomes a four-lane freeway and crosses over the train line into a wooded area where the two roadways split wide apart, merging with the Sprain Brook Parkway . At the merge, the Taconic continues north as a wider, six-lane freeway. For the remainder of Westchester County, the Taconic has been rebuilt, widened, and modernized to meet the needs of commuter growth, bearing little resemblance to its original design. A thousand feet (300 m) to

7872-470: The surrounding hills. On the medians and berms, plantings were carefully planned to maintain continuity with the surrounding woods. On the descent into Peekskill Hollow in Putnam Valley , the trees and shrubs above the retaining wall on the east side were transplanted from the path of the highway, which retained the appearance of the local forest and saved money. Overpasses, both carrying roads over

7968-430: The technical requirements, such as several lanes in one direction or separation of opposite directions. Limited-access roads are usually built because the local population density is too low to justify a motorway. Often space has been left during construction for an eventual upgrade to a motorway. Limited-access roads also function as feeder routes for motorways. The general speed limit on main roads and limited-access roads

8064-477: The terrain levels out again, it widens and begins to assume its scenic character in a growing, exurban area with at-grade intersections. Its northernmost section, located on the ridges between the Hudson Valley and the Taconic Mountains along the state borders to the east, offers mountain and hilltop vistas as the road itself continues to curve gently through bucolic surroundings. This winding route contributes to its 104.12-mile (167.56 km) length, which makes

8160-412: The time. Over the next decade, the cost of moving a cubic yard dropped to almost half of what it had been in the early 1920s. Later in the parkway's development, engineers began using aerial photographs to plan the route. The road's drainage system had some special features designed to avoid detracting from its scenic qualities. The roadway was crowned, with storm drain grates at the edge since there

8256-407: The towing of fairground vehicles, as well as four-wheelers (without passenger compartment), are allowed to drive on an autoweg . An autoweg can consist of two or more lanes. The driving directions can be separated by a roadmarking, or by a central reservation. If a public road ( autosnelweg , autoweg , weg ) consists of two or more lanes that are clearly separated from each other by a roadside or

8352-420: The town of Ghent , with two more at-grade intersections, one of which being Rigor Hill Road, which features a gas station right on the side of the parkway. The Taconic continues to the north from here for five miles (8.0 km) more, crossing into the town of Chatham , with an exit for NY 203 shortly after. The parkway continues north through Chatham, where signs warn drivers that the NY 295 exit

8448-410: The town of LaGrange to the next exit a half-mile (800 m) beyond, at Noxon Road ( CR 21 ), a new exit accessible only to northbound traffic via an off-ramp. The road widens through a wooded area and then narrows past another service area just before Todd Hill Road. The road drops to cross a creek, then rises again to the NY 55 exit, one of two roads serving the city of Poughkeepsie to

8544-482: The town of Milan and climbs slowly through generally wooded area, passing another grade crossing at Cold Spring Road. The next exit, at NY 199 , is the last in Dutchess County. After another long bend east, the Taconic goes north again and crosses into Columbia County just past Roeliff Jansen Kill Multiple Use Area and the Jackson Corners Road ( CR 2 ) exit. The parkway terrain in Columbia

8640-552: The two bridges over New Croton Reservoir , part of the New York City water supply system . Once on the other side, in the town of Yorktown, they converge again to their previous width. The next exit, at Underhill Avenue, provides access to downtown Yorktown and the reservoir. Past the Baldwin Road exit a half mile (0.80 km) north of Underhill, the Taconic curves westward along the south side of Mohansic Lake . When

8736-503: The way it harmonizes with the surrounding landscape. Sociologist Lewis Mumford , who often criticized the effect of superhighway construction on contemporary cities, always advised friends traveling up from New York to visit him at his house in Amenia that they should take the Taconic. He described it as "a consummate work of art, fit to stand on a par with our loftiest creations". The engineers, he said, had avoided "brutal assaults against

8832-421: The west coast. Some provincial expressway routes are still under construction. In Austria the speed limit on a Schnellstraße is 100–130 km/h (62–81 mph). Schnellstraßen are very similar to Austrian Autobahnen (freeways/motorways); the chief difference is that they are more cheaply built with smaller curve radius, often undivided and have fewer bridges and tunnels. In Belgium an autoweg

8928-425: The west, near Freedom Plains . Its slow undulation with the landscape continues past the now closed Skidmore Road grade crossing as it heads due north into the town of Pleasant Valley and the less developed half of Dutchess County. The roadways separate widely (750 feet or 230 metres) again for a mile in the woods east of James Baird State Park . An entry road forks to the left from the northbound lanes and crosses

9024-536: The west. A grade crossing with a flashing overhead warning beacon was replaced in 2000 by a grade-separated exit, making the Appalachian Trail 's crossing here less hazardous. The Taconic levels off into a narrow section bearing due northeast along Hosner Mountain's steep west slope, with stone walls on either side. This ends after a mile with the Interstate ;84 (I-84) interchange. North of

9120-421: Was designed by landscape architect Gilmore Clarke to offer scenic vistas of the Hudson Highlands , Catskills and Taconic regions. The bridges and now-closed service areas were designed to be aesthetically pleasing. It has been praised for the beauty of not only the surrounding landscape and views it offers, but the way the road itself integrates with and presents them. It was completed in its present form in

9216-478: Was no shoulder , to keep water from forming deep puddles that could cause accidents (these have been eliminated from modernized sections of the parkway in Westchester). The soft hand- fluted curbs also helped channel runoff to the basins, and in the median strips a central trench took water to underground pipes which drain into local streams. The median strips themselves were not part of the original design on

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