The Van Wyck is very unusual among its fellow unelevated Queens Expressways in one regard; it has few walkbridges spanning it, whereas the Clearview and LIE are fairly inundated with them. Few doesn't equal none however and this is the only such crossing on the original 1950's era right-of-way, roughly halfway between Hillside Avenue to the south and Queens Blvd to the north. |
The second view above faces Queens Blvd and the last view below faces Hillside. Perhaps one reason no other walkbridges dotted the road to the south was because so many cross avenues got overpasses, whereas the full crossings were a bit chintzier on the subsequent highways. |
The Van Wyck certainly made up for its full crossing largesse as its newer extension snaked up around Flushing Meadow Park. Only one street there, Jewel Avenue, gets to cross it between Union Tpke and the Long Island Expwy and sure enough, around 73rd Avenue there is another walkbridge, which suffered the ignimony of being bowled over by a too-tall truck one day. The third VW walkbridge, an incredibly hideous afterthought, immediately follows Hoover Avenue at 82nd Avenue. Shot 11/6/1999. |