East River Drive at 81st Street June 8, 1942 Museum City of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, formerly the East River Drive, is 9.5 miles long. The FDR Drive extends from the Battery to the Triborough Bridge. The Drive is not designed to current interstate standards, therefore the FDR is closed to commercial traffic. However buses can use the highways in certain locations. Due to its antiquated design, the speed limit maximum is 40 miles per hour. In the 1920s, calls first began for a waterfront highway began - initially being called the "Chyrstie-Forsyth Parkway." The FDR Drive is an amalgamation of sections that were constructed in different styles. Construction of the East River Drive began in 1934. The parkway section from East 92nd street to East 125th required ingenious methods of construction in a narrow right-of-way. A six-lane parkway was conceived by Robert Moses in the 100 foot right-of-way. This section was completed and opened in 1936. East ...
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