Best way to get to the NY St Thruway from Brooklyn?

h1113

Dear Collective Wisdom --

Could you all describe the best (fastest, cheapest, most-hassle-free or other) way to drive from Prospect Heights / Clinton Hill to I-87 (Major Deegan Expressway / NY State Thruway)?

Many thanks!!

stacey

My husband usually takes the BQE to the Triboro to I87 (I think the exit is 46 or 47 - but that I am not sure about). He has also taken the FDR to the Willias Ave bridge to the Major Deegan. I hope it helps.

idlewild

The fastest way is to get on the BQE to the Tri-Boro bridge and follow the signs to I-87N. The cheapest way is to get on the Brooklyn Bridge to the FDR North (unless they have closed down section of the N bound after E.42nd Street, in which case you should take Madison Avenue), to the Harlem River Drive N. and get off at the Madison Ave Bridge exit. Take the MAB to the Bronx and follow the signs to I-87N. If you take the BQE I'd go to Bedford Ave and follow that across the overpass (BQE service road), make the first left at the overpass, make the next left and then the next left after that so you're on the service road heading towards Bedford Avenue again. You should see a sign/entrance for the BQE no more than 100ft ahead of you on your left.

homeowner

It depends on where on 87 you are going. The most direct route is to take the Brooklyn Bridge to the FDR, FDR to the Deegan. The Deegan turns into the Thruway at the Bronx/Westchester border. If you are going to Westchester that's probably the simplest, although the FDR and the Deegan can both be pretty slow going during rush hour.

Option 2 is to take the BQE to the Triborough, and pick up the Deegan that way. Means you don't have to go through the city, but the signage is a little funky coming off the bridge to the Deegan, and sometimes the BQE is as bad or worse than the FDR.

Option 3, and the one I used to use when going further north than Westchester was to take either the West Side Highway or the FDR to the GW then take 80 to 4 West to 17 north which runs into 87 north at the NY/NJ border. I liked this route because it avoided the Tappan Zee Bridge which was always hell, plus it had the added benefit of taking past plenty of gas stations, food options, etc. If you are going north (Albany, Buffalo) and you are going any time other than evening rush hour in NJ that is quickest.

h1113

Fantastic. Thanks so much all of you for your advice! I'm going all the way up to the Albany exit / Berkshires, so I think I'll suggest we try homeowner's Tappan Zee work-around. Thanks again! Have a great weekend...

ana.log

i'm throwing in one more option:

Holland Tunnel to NJ Tpk N to Rt 80W to GSP-N - the GSP turns into NY St Thruway

idlewild

I'd avoid the Holland unless it's it's early in the A.M. I was stuck on Hudson St for more than 45 monutes last night trying to use it.

ana.log

well, this is a very good point