Northern Boulevard: Bypass the LIE into Queens

The Problem

The LIE westbound from Exit 33 (Lakeville Road/Community Drive) into Queens is one of the most dreaded stretches for Nassau County commuters heading into the city. The expressway narrows, merges with traffic from the Cross Island Parkway, and feeds into the Queens congestion at the BQE interchange. On a weekday morning between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM, you can sit in stop-and-go traffic for 30-45 minutes covering barely eight miles. The backup often starts at the Cross Island merge near Exit 29 and extends east past Exit 33. Once you’re stuck on the LIE here, there’s no escape — exits are spaced far apart and the shoulders are non-existent. You just sit there, watching Northern Boulevard traffic cruise past on the ridge above you.

The Shortcut

Northern Boulevard — officially NY Route 25A through this section — runs parallel to the LIE about a quarter mile to the north. It passes through some of Nassau’s most established communities: Great Neck, Manhasset, Plandome, and then into the Queens neighborhoods of Douglaston, Little Neck, Bayside, and Flushing.

The move: Exit the LIE at Exit 33 (Lakeville Road). Turn right onto Lakeville Road north, then left onto Northern Boulevard westbound. Follow Northern Boulevard straight through — it’s one continuous road with no confusing turns. You’ll pass through Great Neck Plaza, Manhasset, and cross the city line near Little Neck. Northern Boulevard continues through Douglaston and Bayside and deposits you into downtown Flushing, where you can reconnect with the LIE at Exit 23 or continue west on Northern Boulevard all the way into Astoria and Long Island City.

The speed limit is 30-35 mph and you’ll hit a traffic light roughly every quarter mile. But those lights move. You’re doing 25-30 mph with stops, which is dramatically better than the 5-10 mph crawl on the LIE.

When to Use It

• Weekday mornings (6:30 AM–9:30 AM) heading into the city. This is the prime use case. The LIE westbound backup is at its worst during the morning commute, and Northern Boulevard handles the overflow well.
• Weekday evenings (4 PM–7 PM) heading eastbound. The reverse works too — when the LIE eastbound is clogged from the Queens border into Nassau, Northern Boulevard eastbound through Bayside and Douglaston back into Great Neck is faster.
• Anytime the LIE is showing red from Exit 33 to Exit 29 on traffic apps. If you see that five-mile stretch lit up, bail immediately.
• When heading to Flushing or northern Queens specifically. Northern Boulevard is literally the main street of Flushing. If that’s your destination, there’s never a reason to take the LIE.

When NOT to Use It

• Weekend mornings. Northern Boulevard through Great Neck Plaza has Saturday morning farmers markets and heavy pedestrian activity. Traffic crawls through the village centers at 10-15 mph.
• Weekday lunch hours (11:30 AM–1:30 PM). The Manhasset Miracle Mile shopping district is on Northern Boulevard. Lunch traffic, delivery trucks double-parked, and shoppers crossing the street make this stretch painful midday.
• Late night (after 9 PM). The LIE is wide open at night. Taking Northern Boulevard with its synchronized lights that turn red even with no cross traffic is slower than the empty expressway.
• During USTA events at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. The US Open (late August through September) and other major tennis events generate massive traffic on Northern Boulevard through Flushing. The road becomes a parking lot from Main Street to the Grand Central Parkway.

Time Savings

Typical weekday morning at 7:30 AM, from Exit 33 to Flushing:

Savings of 10-20 minutes consistently. On days when the LIE has an incident between Exits 29-33, the savings jump to 25-30 minutes since the LIE can go fully gridlocked while Northern Boulevard keeps its pace.

Pro Tips

• The Great Neck Plaza bottleneck. Traffic backs up at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Middle Neck Road in Great Neck Plaza. There’s a dedicated left-turn phase that holds the light. Be in the right lane to flow through faster.
• Manhasset speed traps. The stretch of Northern Boulevard through Manhasset between Shelter Rock Road and Plandome Road is heavily patrolled. The limit drops to 30 mph and the local cops enforce it. Don’t blow through at 45.
• The Little Neck Parkway connection. If you’re heading to the Whitestone or Throgs Neck Bridge, turn left on Little Neck Parkway from Northern Boulevard. It connects to the Cross Island Parkway southbound, which feeds both bridges. This avoids Flushing entirely.
• Use the right lane through Flushing. Main Street Flushing is one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in New York City. The left lane of Northern Boulevard gets blocked by vehicles turning. Stay right and keep moving.
• Gas is cheaper in Queens. This is the reverse of the JFK tip. If you’re heading into the city, wait to fill up in Bayside or Flushing — usually 10-20 cents cheaper per gallon than Great Neck or Manhasset.
• LIRR parallel option. If traffic is truly apocalyptic everywhere, the Port Washington Branch LIRR runs parallel to this entire corridor. Great Neck, Manhasset, and Plandome all have stations. Park and ride if you’re going into Manhattan.
• Northern Boulevard becomes a different road west of Flushing. Past Main Street, it runs through Jackson Heights and Astoria — still useful, but the character changes completely. Wider, more commercial, more truck traffic. Know where you’re exiting.