The FDR Drive was partially built using rubble from German-bombed Bristol, England

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: New York City's FDR Drive is more than a major Manhattan artery. Its history includes a strange wartime origin, where ships returning from England carried debris from German air raids as ballast. Today, this complex parkway remains a vital, constantly evolving piece of infrastructure that defines the city's eastern waterfront.

The FDR Drive, officially the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive, stretches along Manhattan's eastern edge from the Battery Park Underpass to the Harlem River Drive. Originally proposed in 1929 by Manhattan Borough President Julius Miller, the project was designed by Robert Moses. Construction began in the 1930s, initially as a boulevard at street level. A notable segment between 23rd and 34th Streets, known as the Bristol Basin, was completed in October 1941 using rubble from Bristol, England, which had been heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Ships delivering war supplies to Britain returned to New York with this rubble as ballast, which construction crews repurposed for the highway's foundation.

Following its initial construction, city officials sought to upgrade the parkway into a limited-access expressway to improve traffic flow. This multi-decade transformation involved replacing at-grade intersections with concrete viaducts and tunnels. By 1966, the expressway upgrade was complete, ensuring all exits were grade-separated. The road features a mix of elevated, at-grade, and below-grade sections, including tunnels beneath the United Nations headquarters, Rockefeller University, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The parkway is designated as New York State Route 907L and maintains a weight limit of 8,000 pounds for most of its length, with commercial vehicles prohibited north of exit 1.

The FDR Drive has undergone numerous modifications for safety, security, and maintenance. Following the September 11 attacks, exit 6 was permanently closed due to its proximity to a critical Con Edison power station. Other projects have included the rehabilitation of the South Street Viaduct in 2019 and the reconstruction of various tunnels and ramps. Despite its importance, the infrastructure faces ongoing challenges; in 2023, Manhattan borough president Mark Levine proposed replacing the South Street Viaduct with an urban boulevard, citing its deterioration and the barrier it creates between the community and the waterfront. Today, the drive remains a heavily used corridor, serving both private vehicles and several express bus routes.

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