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West Side Highway

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
The West Side Highway, also known as New York State Route 9A, stretches north through Manhattan from the Battery Park Underpass.

What Is the West Side Highway?

The West Side Highway is a road in New York City. It runs along the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. Its official name is the Joe DiMaggio Highway, after a famous New York Yankees player.

A Road by the River

The highway is about 5 miles long. It starts near Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. It goes north to West 72nd Street, where it becomes the Henry Hudson Parkway. Most of the road is at ground level, so cars can drive right along the water.

The highway passes many piers and nice places to visit. It goes by the Javits Center and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Some parts of the road have names like West Street, Eleventh Avenue, and Twelfth Avenue.

Changes Over Time

Long ago, a tall road called the West Side Elevated Highway stood on the west side of Manhattan. It was closed in 1973 because it had not been well cared for. Later, a new road took its place, and it was finished by 2001.

Some people wanted the highway to be moved and buried. Others wanted to keep it. In the end, the road stayed where it was, and the area around it grew greener.

A New Park Next Door

In 1998, a new park was created next to the highway. It is called Hudson River Park. The park covers 550 acres, and it is the biggest park built in the city since Central Park.

A bike path runs along the highway, so people can ride bikes by the river. Many families enjoy walking and biking there.

Quiz time!

3 questions about West Side Highway

Question 1 of 3

What river does the West Side Highway run along?

Pictures

The West Side Highway as seen from the One World Observatory at One World Trade Center in New York City.
A view of the West Side Highway and the Riverside South area along Manhattan's west side, where a large housing and park development was planned.
The West Side Highway and its ramps at Chambers Street in Manhattan, New York City, photographed in 1974 looking north.
An early plan for Boston's Central Artery, a proposed highway modeled on New York City's West Side Highway.
A black and white photograph of the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York City, taken in 1974 and looking north near the Canal Street Bridge.
A section of the West Side Highway in New York City, which collapsed at 14th Street in 1973. This historic photo was taken by engineers who documented the damage.
Protesters gathered in New York City in 1977 to demonstrate against the Westway highway project.
A view looking south along the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York City, taken from a pedestrian overpass near West 46th Street.
Northbound traffic on New York State Route 9A, also called the West Side Highway, at its intersection with 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York City.
A street sign reading Joe DiMaggio Highway, named after the famous baseball player, along the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York City.
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, photographed in July 2001, with the buildings and streets around them.
A view looking north along the southbound lanes of the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York City, taken from a pedestrian bridge.
600 mm by 300 mm (24 in by 12 in) begin plate, made to the specifications of the 2012 supplemental to the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M4-14). The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
600 mm by 300 mm (24 in by 12 in) north plate, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M3-1). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
2016-era FDR Drive route marker. Actual route markers contain artwork in the top left quadrant that has not been included for copyright concerns.
600 mm by 300 mm (24 in by 12 in) to plate, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M4-5). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) Colors are from [1] (Pantone Blue 294), converted to RGB by [2]. The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
I-278.svg
West plate blue.svg
Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) Colors are from [1] (Pantone Red 187 and Blue 294), converted to RGB by [2]. The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
600 mm by 300 mm (24 in by 12 in) to plate, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M4-5). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
600 mm by 300 mm (24 in by 12 in) west plate, made to the specifications of the 2004 edition of Standard Highway Signs (sign M3-4). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.) The outside border has a width of 1 (1 mm) and a color of black so it shows up; in reality, signs have no outside border.
Diagram of a 750 mm by 600 mm (30 in by 24 in) route marker for New York State Route 495, made to the specifications of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 2009 Edition (sign M1-5; p. 143) and the 2010 New York state supplement to the MUTCD (signs NYM3-1, NYM3-2, and NYM3-3; pp. 73, 256). Uses the Roadgeek 2005 fonts. (United States law does not permit the copyrighting of typeface designs, and the fonts are meant to be copies of a U.S. Government-produced work anyway.)
2016-era Henry Hudson Parkway route marker. Actual route markers contain artwork in the top left quadrant that has not been included for copyright concerns. The artwork for this marker depicts the Little Red Lighthouse.

Keep exploring

New York City
Hudson River
Manhattan
Central Park

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on West Side Highway, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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