WPCNR FREEWAY FLYER By John F. Bailey. August 25, 2009: The ongoing construction at the Exit 6,7,8 area paralleling and above the Cross Westchester Expressway is taking shape. Gregory Kisloff, Community Liaison for the I-287 Stage III Reconstruction Project put together a graphic explanation of how the project, the Department of Transportation hopes will eliminate the criss-cross traffic patern at the Exit 7 area that has plagued the area for decades. The new Exit 7, taking shape between the North Street bridge and the Westchester Avenue cross-over, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2009. Here’s how it works.

New I-287 Exit 7 Ramp "I" is being positioned  under construction  under Westchester Avenue Westbound Overpass  leading into White Plains, and beginning about halfway between the North Street cross over ramp (railing in photo) and the Westchester Avenue Overpass (background) ( The scene of the new ram is shown at a distance above, and closeup below)

New Exit 7  Ramp I ( in yellow) show as it passes under the Westchester Avenue (westbound into White Plains), allowing westbound I-287 traffic to exit into White Plains to Central Westchster Parkway and local streets without crossing speeding up I-287 westbound entering motorists.

Kisloff  explains: “this relocated interchange takes existing Westbound I-287 traffic off the mainline roadway (of I-287) onto Westchester Avenue, en route to Central Westchester Parkway, while merging with two lanes of westbound traffic emanating from Bloomingdale Road and the Westchester Mall Ramp U and with the On-Ramp H adjacent to Underhill Avenue. “

The Merge: (Close up of above diagram): Ramp I , the new Exit 7 ramp from I-287 westbound (in yellow) merges with Ramp U, lower left, forming 3-lane frontage road.Ramp H (above the new Exit 7) carries traffic from Underhill Avenue bound for I-287 or local streets.

Kisloff notes the advantage of the new configuration:  “This merge results in a three-lane frontage road,  Ramp I, carrying three lanes of traffic westbound, allowing traffic to enter the Central Westchester Parkway, enter the I-287 westbound, or exit onto local roads near the existing (present) Exit 7 ramp, east of the Grant Avenue Bridge and west of Ramp G.”

“This new frontage road will serve to eliminate much of the weaving and merging problems currently experienced by motorists between the entrance ramp past Westchester Avenue and the existing Exit 7 ramp.”

WPCNR observes that the new three-lane frontage road allows cars entering 287 to get up to speed to enter I-287 westbound, but still means that  2 lanes of those cars have to merge into the main I-287 westbound. Whether, the diversion of Central Westchester Parkway and local streets bound traffic from I-287 via the new Exit 7 Ramp I will ease the four-lane into one merge that now exists at that  entry-exit point, is a question that will be answered in the spring.