Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-11-12
Henry Hudson Drive
Formally Opened


Drfpe last week was an event Of extra
Importance in a way, yet a disap
pdintment in another. The driveway
is a wonder, extending along and over
looking the Hudson River for little
over five miles. 1t unfOlds to the vi
sion scenes of greater beauty, perhaps,
than any other similar distance in the
entire eastern section Of the country,
H, indeed, it does not surpasS any
thing of ike nature in the whole
country
THE. roadway starts from a point
about two-thirds the distance up from
the river at Dyckman ferry roadway.
then proceeds due north to point on
fob Of the cliffs at Alpine, but ending
literally at Nowhere, because the pres
emf road facilities at the end of this
glorious driveway that is to mean so
much to the people of this section OF
che country, are about the worst that
anyone ever saw. The terminus OF the
Henry Hudson Drive is into the road
leading along the top of the Palisades
from Palisade avenue, Englewood, but
from which the river is nowhere visl-
HE. running finally to Palisades, N. T.,
Syt,ere there are very fine roads in the
neigbborhood of the Nyack section.
Auto5nobifsts taking the Hudson Drive
with the expectation of coming out
meet with most disheart-
ening series Of worse than bad roads,
whether they turn south and go on
back 10 Palisade avenue, Engiewood,
an 20 on north to Palisades, N. I. IL
x six of one and half a dozen or
che other. with enough swears In either
direction to make one lose all MS re-
kgion.
, Another serious matter that needs
attention Is the~monopoly made OF the
new driveway by pedestrians. On sat
,irtiays and Sundays they act as II the
drive was made especially for their
sole occupancy, and an autoist mas
tghe time of his life lodging people
aIong the roadway. These people are
mt in the least considerable, of any
one. StrMting along in the middle Oh
the road, they pay not the slightest
attention to any autOists, no matter now
much he may foot his abominabie norm.
Others see fit to play little funny
Stunts, such as jumping out at an
automobile, then jumping away In time
TO miss the oncoming cara sort OF
matador trick that is really very anus
ing. yet may be dangerous. The only
Way ,to .prevent this piece OF we'll IN
tended pleasantly is to post signs max
Ing 1t a misdemeanor, and urging the
rubiic to report such cases. On elec-
Zion day some foolish autoist had the
femerity to park his car facing down
The hill about half way down the Dyck-
man street ferry hill on the Jersey
side. then go off meandering in the
brush on the cliff. Anything like traf-
flc nj that time would have found that
narrow road at that point very dan
gerous.
I'm all other ways the Henry HUDSON
Drive is a dream and a wonder. IL
Is to be hoped that the authorities
with see to 1t that proper regulations
are installed.
IN connection with the opening OF
the drive, the Fort Lee Sentinel last
week had an interesting, account OF the
building of the thoroughfare, from
which the following points are taken
y. At point about One-half mile south
Of Alpine where a large plaza has Deen
constructed, the drive forks. one
branch climbs the slope and connects
with the Boulevard on top of the Fan
sades near Alpine; the other branch
leads down to the Alpine Landing, al
'fording access by ferry to the City OF
Yonkers !, the latter, known as the Al
'tiine Approach, is very close to COM
pletion.
y The Alpine Approach, like the Engle-
wood Approach, is being paid Tor out
of contributed funds in the hanos Oh
'the New York Commission.
IS The section of the Henry Hudson
Drive from the Englewood Approach
to the, Boulevard at Alpine is five ana
Sone.eighth miles and the spur to the
Alpine dock is one-half mile in length.
The surface of the driveway is SIX
teen feet In width. Including the gut
fers. The total width is twenty-tour
feet. 1t is constructed of telford ma
cadam btuminous bond.
{ Although the drive has been con-
structed over ground which is extreme
Nv uneven, requiring large number
OF cuts and fills, its grade in only a
few places exceeds per cent. the
steepest grade on the Alpine Approach
lis not over z per cent.
Dry masonry retaining walls nave
Been built to hold the back slopes. The
r3arapet wall consists of bouiders
Weighing from one to three tons each
The 'Greenbrook bridge spanning
'Greenbrook Falls, chasm down the
face Of the cliffs hundreds of feet IN
iIepth. is constructed of reinforced con
crete. The bridge is a spandred arcn
sixty feet in the clear at an elevation
Of 1870 feet above the Hudson River
AT the junction of the Alpine APP
proach with the drive, a figure .
turn-around has been constructed OF
level ground, permitting the flow Of
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