Site Navigation Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont     New York 27 / Prospect Expressway The Prospect Expressway constitutes a short spur from Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) southeast to Prospect Park and Kensington in Brooklyn. The six-lane freeway carries New York 27 east from its beginning at the BQE to Caton Avenue. Ocean Parkway continues the alignment south of the freeway end at Church Avenue as a six-lane surface boulevard to Surf Avenue on Coney Island. The end of the Prospect Expressway at Church Avenue and the Ocean Parkway seems premature, and it is. Two routes were once touted as potential extensions of the Prospect Expressway through southwest Brooklyn. In 1963, transportation mogul Robert Moses proposed a 4.2-mile upgrade of the Ocean Parkway into a freeway between Church Avenue and Coney Island. A second proposal arose in 1966 to carry the Prospect Expressway southeast along Flatbush Avenue to the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Both plans received bad feedback from residents who voiced overwhelming concerns related to other disruptive freeway projects in the city.1 Therefore neither of the extensions were ever built. See New York @ NorthEastRoads.com - New York 27 (Linden Boulevard / Conduit Avenue) for photos of New York 27 along Linden Boulevard and Conduit Avenue. New York 27 / Prospect Expressway east The eastbound beginning of New York 27. The Prospect Expressway stems southeast from an elevated directional interchange with Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) near Gowanus Bay. The Expressway travels a viaduct over 3rd and 4th Avenues initially. Photo taken 06/13/05. Descending toward the 5th Avenue over crossing on New York 27 eastbound. A half-diamond interchange brings traffic onto the Prospect Expressway south from 4th Avenue via 17th Street. Photo taken 06/13/05. Attached to the 5th Avenue overpass is the 0.50-mile overhead for Exit 4 (10th & 11th Avenues). The Prospect Expressway travels below grade from here south to its end at Church Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 truck traffic should use Exit 4 in lieu of the Prospect Expressway between 10th Avenue and Caton Avenue. The truck route utilizes McDonald Avenue south from 10th Avenue to New York 27 at Caton Avenue. All trucks must otherwise depart the Prospect Expressway at the transition to Ocean Parkway at Exit 6 (Church Avenue). Photo taken 06/13/05. One quarter mile north of the Exit 4 off-ramp to 19th Street for 10th and 11th Avenues. An on-ramp brings additional traffic to New York 27 east from 7th Avenue via the adjacent 19th Street. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 4 leaves New York 27 (Prospect Expressway) eastbound underneath the 9th Avenue overpass. 10th and 11th Avenues represent the next blocks New York 27 encounters. The numbered streets stem northeast from 20th Street and Greenwood Cemetery to Prospect Park and the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Photo taken 06/13/05. Attached to the 10th Avenue pedestrian over crossing is the 0.25-mile overhead for New York 27's departure from the Prospect Expressway (Exit 5). New York 27 eastbound travels 5th Street south from Exit 5 to Caton Avenue east. Fort Hamilton Parkway stems west from the crossing of the Ocean Parkway and Prospect Expressway to the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 eastbound at the 11th Avenue over crossing. The state highway prepares to depart the Prospect Expressway via the Exit 5 off-ramp onto the adjacent 5th Street south. 5th Street intersects Fort Hamilton Parkway / Ocean Parkway one block south of Greenwood Avenue and the Exit 5 ramp. Fort Hamilton Parkway travels southwest to 65th Street and Interstate 278 (Gowanus Expressway) at Bay Ridge. Photo taken 06/13/05. Continuing southbound on the Prospect Expressway at the Seeley Street overpass. Posted here is the 0.50-mile guide sign for the final off-ramp, Exit 6 to Church Avenue westbound. All commercial trucks must depart the Prospect Expressway onto Church Avenue west in lieu of Ocean Parkway south. All parkways within New York City and on Long Island are prohibited to commercial trucks. Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 eastbound leaves the Prospect Expressway for 5th Street south (Exit 5). New York 27 turns east onto Caton Avenue from 5th Street one block south of Fort Hamilton Parkway. From there Caton Avenue carries New York 27 east through Kensington to Flatbush Avenue and Linden Boulevard. Note the truck restriction for Exit 5. Again New York 27 trucks should use Exit 4 to McDonald Avenue south to Caton Avenue east. Photo taken 06/13/05. The Prospect Expressway continues south a short distance from Exit 5 to Exit 6 (Church Avenue). Pictured here is the 0.25-mile overhead for the Church Avenue westbound turn-off posted on the Greenwood Avenue pedestrian overpass. Photo taken 06/13/05. Ramps associated with the Ocean Parkway partial "Y" interchange with the Prospect Expressway come into view. The first overpass carries the Ocean Parkway ramp to the Fort Hamilton Parkway west. The second overpass brings the Ocean Parkway southbound onto the Prospect Expressway ahead of the signalized intersection with Church Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 east (Caton Avenue) passes over the Prospect Expressway ahead of its transition to the Ocean Parkway and intersection with Church Avenue. Note the reduction in speed to 30 MPH. Photo taken 06/13/05. The Prospect Expressway southbound transition into the Ocean Parkway. The Ocean Parkway frontage street system comes into view as the four-lane freeway transitions into a four-lane surface highway. Exit 6 departs ahead via a slip ramp onto the adjacent frontage street for Church Avenue west. Photo taken 06/13/05. The end of the Prospect Expressway. Exit 6 carries motorists onto the Ocean Parkway frontage street south for the right-hand turn onto Church Avenue. A signalized intersection ahead governs the intersection between the Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue itself. Photo taken 06/13/05. Ocean Parkway and the Ocean Parkway frontage street south at Church Avenue. Left-hand turns onto Church Avenue westbound are not permitted from Ocean Parkway southbound. Photo taken 06/13/05. The next intersection of the Ocean Parkway exists one block south of Church Avenue at Beverly Road. Left-hand turns are permitted onto Beverly Road east for the Kensington section of Brooklyn. Ocean Parkway otherwise continues southward as an at-grade parkway to Coney Island and Brighton Beach in southwest Brooklyn. Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 / Prospect Expressway west The Prospect Expressway begins at the intersection of Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue. The Ocean Parkway veers northeast in name from Exit 5 to Park Circle and Prospect Park. New York 27 west joins the Prospect Expressway from the Ocean Parkway south via Park Circle and Coney Island Avenue north. Photo taken 06/13/05. A reassurance shield for New York 27 resides along the northbound beginning of the Prospect Expressway with an Interstate 278 trailblazer. New York 27 however does not officially join the Expressway until north of the Exit 5 partial "Y" interchange with Ocean Parkway and Park Circle. Photo taken 06/13/05. Caton Avenue (New York 27 east) passes over the Prospect Expressway northbound ahead of the Exit 5 ramp departure of the Ocean Parkway north to Park Circle and Prospect Park. The Ocean Parkway ends at Park Circle. Park Circle joins the Parkway with Coney Island Avenue (New York 27 west), Parkside Avenue, and Prospect Park SW. Prospect Park itself lies north of Parkside Avenue and east of Prospect Park SW. Photo taken 06/13/05. A look at the Ocean Parkway split from the Prospect Expressway northbound. The ramp in the distance carries the Parkway southbound onto the Prospect Expressway. The Ocean Parkway travels overall between Coney Island and Prospect Park. Like other New York City parkways, commercial truck traffic is prohibited. Photo taken 06/13/05. Ramps for the Ocean Parkway south and Fort Hamilton Parkway west (from Park Circle) travel overhead as New York 27 prepares to merge onto the Prospect Expressway north. A small HOV guide sign advises motorists of the Interstate 278 carpool lane for the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (Interstate 478). Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 west merges onto the Prospect Expressway at the Greenwood Avenue pedestrian over crossing. Posted here is the 0.50-mile overhead for Exit 3 (8th and 7th Avenues). Photo taken 06/13/05. New York 27 (Prospect Expressway) westbound passes under the Seeley Street overpass one quarter mile south of the Exit 3 off-ramp onto adjacent 18th Street. 18th Street carries motorists north from the Prospect Expressway to 8th Avenue and one block north to 7th Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. An on-ramp merges onto New York 27 west from 11th Avenue via 18th Street north. Small guide signs advise motorists of the Exit 3 attractions: Brooklyn Children's Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. Substandard signs such as these are found throughout New York's freeway network. Photo taken 06/13/05. Attached to the 10th Avenue pedestrian overpass is another Interstate 278 HOV-3 guide sign for the upcoming junction with the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The left-hand lane of Interstate 278 eastbound provides a direct route to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (Interstate 478) northbound. The HOV-3 lane carries a EZ-Pass restriction for the tolled facility. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 3 leaves New York 27 northbound for 18th Street north to 8th and 7th Avenues. Use these surface streets northeast for the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Photo taken 06/13/05. A second New York 27 reassurance shield lies ahead of the 8th Avenue pedestrian overpass. The Prospect Expressway bends northwest from a parallel alignment of 19th & 18th Streets to that of 17th Street & Prospect Avenue. Exit 2 (4th and 3rd Avenues) serves the movement to Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) eastbound to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridges and Staten Island. Photo taken 06/13/05. The Prospect Expressway northbound defaults onto Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) eastbound for Manhattan (via Interstate 478 north), Queens, and Bronx. Only one lane is allocated for the northward progression however. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 2 departs New York 27 (Prospect Expressway) westbound onto the adjacent Prospect Avenue north for 4th and 3rd Avenues. Prospect Avenue continues as Hamilton Avenue, the frontage street system for Interstate 278, north of 3rd Avenue. An on-ramp to Interstate 278 eastbound departs Prospect Avenue after its intersection with 3rd Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. Exit 1 provides a direct connection onto the Interstate 278 frontage street system (Hamilton Avenue) from New York 27 (Prospect Expressway) west. The off-ramp leaves the freeway ahead of its merge onto Interstate 278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) eastbound. Photo taken 06/13/05. The final approach to Interstate 278 sees the Prospect Expressway elevate over 4th and 3rd Avenues below on a viaduct. Exit 1 descends onto Hamilton Avenue north for the South Brooklyn and Red Hook neighborhoods of west Brooklyn. Traffic otherwise defaults onto a single lane ramp to Interstate 278 east, one mile south of the split with Interstate 478. Photo taken 06/13/05. What's left of an end New York 27 shield assembly lies at the Exit 1 gore point for Hamilton Avenue. The elevated Brooklyn-Queens Expressway draws into view otherwise. Interstate 278 crosses a high-level bridge over Gowanus Bay just north of the Prospect Expressway. Photo taken 06/13/05. Looking at the merge of New York 27 west onto Interstate 278 eastbound. The next exit of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway east is that of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel northbound. Lower Manhattan lies just three miles to the north via Interstates 278 and 478. Photo taken 06/13/05. Scenes pertaining to New York 27 Church Avenue westbound at 7th Street, one block west of the intersection with the Ocean Parkway and Prospect Expressway. The Prospect Expressway stems north from the upcoming traffic light but does not carry New York 27 until north of Exit 5. Photo taken 06/13/05. A closer look at the tagged New York 27 shield assembly posted along Church Avenue westbound. New York 27 travels Caton Avenue west from Linden Boulevard and Flathbush Avenue one block north of Church Avenue. Photo taken 06/13/05. Mast arm supported traffic lights govern the intersection between Church Avenue, Ocean Parkway, and Prospect Expressway. The six-lane freeway begins to the right. Ocean Parkway travels southward to Coney Island to the left as an at-grade facility. Church Avenue continues west to McDonald Avenue and a transition to 14th Street. Photo taken 06/13/05. Sources: 1 - Prospect Expressway (NY 27), NYCRoads.com. Page Updated December 2, 2005.