Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct
Encyclopedia
The Grand Central Terminal Park Avenue Viaduct is a roadway that brings Park Avenue
around Grand Central Terminal
and the MetLife Building
, the two buildings that interrupt Park Avenue's broad boulevard in the Manhattan
borough
of New York City
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983, technically as a "boundary increase" to the Grand Central Terminal's prior listing, but carrying a separate reference number.
The viaduct provides a pedestrian-, bicycle-, and bus-free express route for taxicabs and other automobile traffic that flies above congestion from 40th Street to 46th Street. From the south, the roadway begins at 40th Street. From 40th to 42nd street, the central roadway of Park Avenue rises to a T above 42nd Street, shading the busy 42nd Street entrance to Grand Central Terminal below. Meanwhile, side lanes of Park Avenue descend from 40th to end at 42nd Street. The elevated roadway then encircles the Grand Central Terminal. Traffic from the south is diverted to the right, around the east side of the station, and descends again through the Helmsley Building
to Park Avenue at 46th Street north of the MetLife Building
. Traffic coming from the north around the west side of the station is diverted south to 40th Street; barriers prevent traffic from recircling the station. The south end is fed by the Park Avenue Tunnel.
The viaduct was first proposed in 1916, and construction began in 1918 Work progressed rapidly despite the wartime difficulty in securing labor and material and the viaduct opened on April 16, 1919. The original viaduct took two way traffic from Park Avenue at 40th Street and carried it around the west side of Grand Central Terminal, depositing it at the corner of Forty-Fifth Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. A spur ran east along the rear of the terminal, providing parking space and an entrance to the Commodore Hotel.
Shortly after completion, it was evident that additional measures were needed to prevent a traffic tie up at the north end of the newly completed pass. New York Central engineers suggested a plan which proposed that Park Avenue be closed to all vehicular traffic at the 45th Street grade and traffic be carried around both sides of the terminal and deposited at Park Avenue and 46th Street. The plan was approved by the Board of Estimate in January 1928, and construction complete by September of that year.
The viaduct appears in numerous movies and television show episodes. For one example, Will Smith's character in the 2007 film I Am Legend
is captured by a vampire's snare there.
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
around Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
and the MetLife Building
MetLife Building
The MetLife Building, originally called the Pan Am Building, is a skyscraper located at 200 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
, the two buildings that interrupt Park Avenue's broad boulevard in the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983, technically as a "boundary increase" to the Grand Central Terminal's prior listing, but carrying a separate reference number.
Helmsley Building
The Helmsley Building is a 35-story located at 230 Park Avenue in New York City. Before the erection of the Pan Am Building, now the MetLife Building, this building stood out over the city's second most prestigious avenue as it was the tallest structure in the great "Terminal City" complex around...
to Park Avenue at 46th Street north of the MetLife Building
MetLife Building
The MetLife Building, originally called the Pan Am Building, is a skyscraper located at 200 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
. Traffic coming from the north around the west side of the station is diverted south to 40th Street; barriers prevent traffic from recircling the station. The south end is fed by the Park Avenue Tunnel.
The viaduct was first proposed in 1916, and construction began in 1918 Work progressed rapidly despite the wartime difficulty in securing labor and material and the viaduct opened on April 16, 1919. The original viaduct took two way traffic from Park Avenue at 40th Street and carried it around the west side of Grand Central Terminal, depositing it at the corner of Forty-Fifth Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. A spur ran east along the rear of the terminal, providing parking space and an entrance to the Commodore Hotel.
Shortly after completion, it was evident that additional measures were needed to prevent a traffic tie up at the north end of the newly completed pass. New York Central engineers suggested a plan which proposed that Park Avenue be closed to all vehicular traffic at the 45th Street grade and traffic be carried around both sides of the terminal and deposited at Park Avenue and 46th Street. The plan was approved by the Board of Estimate in January 1928, and construction complete by September of that year.
The viaduct appears in numerous movies and television show episodes. For one example, Will Smith's character in the 2007 film I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
is captured by a vampire's snare there.