This chapter discusses the vast scale and intricate complexity of Robert Moses’ post-World War II road-building efforts in New York City, spotlighting the Cross-Bronx Expressway as a central example. Unlike earlier road projects that carefully avoided established neighborhoods, Moses’ new superhighways plowed straight through densely populated urban areas. This approach forced the displacement of thousands of residents and required a complete overhaul of critical city infrastructure. The Cross-Bronx Expressway, in particular, became a symbol of this bold strategy, as its construction demanded cutting a massive trench through solid rows of apartment buildings and beneath crucial city arteries—a task that left even seasoned engineers in awe.
The engineering obstacles were staggering. The planned route had to tunnel beneath the Grand Concourse, a major boulevard perched on a ridge and crowded with apartment buildings, a subway line, and a tangled web of utilities. All of these systems needed to keep running while construction was underway. Engineers faced the challenge of unstable Fordham gneiss rock and had to devise ways to support elevated transit lines and streets above the ongoing excavation and blasting. The expressway crossed more than a hundred streets, several railroads, and multiple major highways, pushing engineers to invent new solutions like “needle beams” and hydraulic jacks to keep everything stable. The sheer complexity of the interchanges and the unprecedented scale of the project meant that many components had to be custom-made, and new engineering terms were coined along the way.
But the technical feats were only part of the story. Moses was relentless in pushing past bureaucratic and logistical barriers. He sidestepped red tape, secured enormous funding through bond issues and federal support, and navigated tricky real estate negotiations with powerful organizations. He took particular satisfaction in tackling physical challenges—sometimes choosing to move entire buildings instead of tearing them down—and seemed to enjoy outmaneuvering his critics, including environmentalists and community activists.
The chapter places Moses’ work in a broader historical context, noting that authoritarian governments have often found it easier to push through massive public works by simply ignoring public resistance. While Moses operated within a democracy, he managed to wield almost unchecked authority, frequently putting his projects ahead of the people affected by them. He often brushed aside public protests, convinced that his vision served the greater good and would benefit future generations. Ultimately, the chapter suggests that, for all his technical brilliance and logistical skill, Moses’ toughest battles were political. The democratic process, with its inherent checks and balances, made it far more difficult to carry out such sweeping changes to the city’s landscape.