In 1937, plans were discussed for an for an expressway link crossing Midtown Manhattan. the most logical routing for such a highway was in the vicinity of 34th Street, a heavily traveled crosstown surface street. Originally conceived as two twin two-laned tunnels, the Mid-Manhattan Expressway or M.M.E. (sometimes called the Mid-Manhattan Elevated Expressway) was designed to travel between the West Side Elevated (Miller) Highway on the west side of Manhattan, and the East River or Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive (F.D.R.) on the east side of the island. By 1941, Robert Moses, New York Park Commissioner and Arterial Coordinator, Proposed a six-lane elevated expressway along 30th Street. The expressway was to connect to the West Side Elevated (Miller) Highway and the Lincoln Tunnel on the west side of Manhattan, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and East River or Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive (F.D.R.) on the east side of the island.

It would be constructed within a 100 foot-wide right-of-way immediately south of 30th Street. The viaduct which would require substantial demolition of high-rise buildings within Midtown Manhattan, would be situated ten stories above the most valuable real estate in the world. This is not all however. Air rights above the expressway would be sold and new high-rise buildings would be constructed above the expressway, in addition buildings would be constructed below the viaduct as well.

In 1963, plans for the expressway were finalized and it received the interstate designation I-495,

In 1971, Governor Nelson Rockefeller struck a huge blow. Because of rampant community opposition, and the disruption the expressway would cause, the Mid-Manhattan Expressway, along with about a dozen other highway plans including "Interstate 78 Through New York City" of which another highly important crosstown highway known as the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LOMEX) was part of, was officially cancelled and demapped.

The 1963 plans fo the Mid-Manhattan Expressway are summarized as follows:

Beginning from its elevated connections to NY9A or the West Side Elevated Highway, the Mid-Manhattan Expressway would begin as a six-lane depressed roadway in the center of a widened 30th Street to Tenth Avenue.

At this point, it would swing to the north side of 30th Street to make connections between Tenth and Ninth Avenues, with the Lincoln Tunnel Third Tube Approaches.

Traveling east from this area, it would underpass Ninth Avenue, but rise so as to overpass Eighth Avenue and ultimately continue across Manhattan as a elevated structure.

In an area between Eight and Seventh Avenues, the roadway would recross 30th Street and occupy a 100ft wide right-of-way immediately south of the thoroughfare.

From here it would travel east as a six-lane elevated expressway route, ten stories above the city streets to allow for commercial development both above and below the skyway deck.

After overpassing Second Avenues the swing north to follow the 30th Street alignment as a four-lane elevated expressway route to connections with the East River or F.D.R. Drive.

Between First and Second Avenues, ramps would be constructed to provide access to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.