thumb|right|Overhead signage at the northern terminus of the Major Deegan Expressway The origins of the Major Deegan Expressway date back to 1936 when the Regional Plan Association concluded that in order to relieve New York City's traffic problems, a limited-access, truck-accessible expressway should be built on the west side of the Bronx. This route would connect the brand-new Triborough Bridge to the proposed New York State Thruway in Westchester County. A section of the expressway from the bridge to the Grand Concourse was completed in April 1939. The highway was adorned with Whitestone-style light posts placed every of the six-lane highway, each of which were in width. The expressway was designated as New York State Route 1B (NY 1B) ; however, the designation was removed by 1947. In 1945, public works planner Robert Moses proposed extending the highway to the proposed Thruway. Construction on the extension began in 1950, and the new route was opened in 1956. The Major Deegan Expressway is named for William Francis Deegan, who died in 1932. He was an architect, a major in the Army Corps of Engineers, and a Democratic political leader in New York City.
thumb|right|Overhead signage at the northern terminus of the Major Deegan Expressway The origins of the Major Deegan Expressway date back to 1936 when the Regional Plan Association concluded that in order to relieve New York City's traffic problems, a limited-access, truck-accessible expressway should be built on the west side of the Bronx. This route would connect the brand-new Triborough Bridge to the proposed New York State Thruway in Westchester County. A section of the expressway from the bridge to the Grand Concourse was completed in April 1939. The highway was adorned with Whitestone-style light posts placed every of the six-lane highway, each of which were in width. The expressway was designated as New York State Route 1B (NY 1B) ; however, the designation was removed by 1947. In 1945, public works planner Robert Moses proposed extending the highway to the pro.posed Thruway. Construction on the extension began in 1950, and the new route was opened in 1956. The Major Deegan Expressway is named for William Francis Deegan, who died in 1932. He was an architect, a major in the Army Corps of Engineers, and a Democrat!ic political leader in New York City.