| Above is a panoramic of the Long Island Expwy, heading east towards the elevated Van Wyck Extension, in the midst of Flushing Meadow Park. This was the site of the 1964-65 Worlds Fair. Unseen in the foreground, the Grand Central Pkwy passes beneath the LIE. The LIE at this point, was adorned with Worlds Fair era Truss-arm lightpoles, but as most of them got knocked down, they were replaced with giant, braced bigloops. Above photo is courtesy of Steve Anderson. |
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Up ahead, a little past the top
view, is the Van Wyck Expwy. overpass, marking the eastern border
of Flushing Meadow Park. The mighty Van Wyck at that point fights
an annoying gnat-like creek for ownership of it's right-of-way.
No matter how elevated and reconstructed it may be, it never
seems to be able to shake this creek running below and aside
it, all the way from Shea Stadium (unseen about a mile to the
left), down the park's border, until it reaches the transit yards
serving the Queens Blvd. subway lines. It's like a housecat that's
always getting in front of you as you're walking. The Van Wyck at this point is actually called the Van Wyck Extension, as opposed to the original early 1950's Van Wyck, that ran from the Grand Central Pkwy in Kew Gardens, south to what was then Idlewild Airport. This elevated section was completed around 1964, in time for the 64-65 Worlds Fair, which alot of the world ended up not participating in. I have fond memories of that fair, however, so I'll save my acid for other targets. |
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The VWE lowers to ground level just
to the south (right) of this photo, trying to twist itself out
of the way of that creek, until it suddenly finds the ground
has disappeared from under it, at Kew Gardens. It is once again
swept up into the air, to cross over Union Tpke, the Grand Central
and Jackie Robinson Pkwys, only to quickly descend into the open
cut hell of the original airport bound highway, with which it
merges just south of eastbound Union Tpke. The next major stop on the eastbound LIE is Main Street. |
© 1998, Jeff Saltzman. All rights reserved.
