这里的 where 引导的是宾语从句，用作介词 near 的宾语。从含义上看，这里的 where 相当于 the place where（所以有人称之为缩合连接副词）。又如：

There is a sawmill near where I live. 靠近我的住处有个锯木厂。

The pub is near where the road forks. 酒吧在马路的岔口附近。

This village is very different from where I live. 这个村庄跟我住的地方很不一样。

It’s near where the railway goes underneath the road. 它靠近铁路从地下穿过公路的地方。

I bank at First National because it’s near where I work. 我把钱存在国家第一银行，因为它离我工作的地方较近。

Police are dragging the river near where he was last seen. 警方正在他最后一次出现之处附近的一条河里拖网搜寻。

类似的用法如：

We didn’t like where we stayed. 我们不喜欢我们住的地方。

The school was only a few blocks from where she lived. 学校离她住的地方只有几个街区的距离。

The car stopped short only a few inches from where I stood. 汽车在离我站的地方仅几英寸处突然停住。