|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"NY 17" redirects here. NY 17 may also refer to New York's 17th congressional district.
New York State Route 17, also known as the Southern Tier Expressway (between the Pennsylvania-New York border and Binghamton), the Quickway (between Binghamton and the New York State Thruway in Harriman), and the Orange Turnpike (between Harriman and Suffern), is a New York state highway that runs from Suffern, New York (where it connects to NJ 17) to the Pennsylvania border in Western New York. Between the PA-NY border and the village of Horseheads, NY 17 is concurrent with Interstate 86. Eventually, the entire east-west portion of NY 17 from the PA border to Harriman will become I-86 as projects to upgrade the route to Interstate Highway standards are completed. Route 17 is also Corridor T of the Appalachian Development Highway System. At the Pennsylvania border, the highway becomes solely I-86 between the PA border and the city of Erie. Up until 1999, when I-86 was signed into law, this section of highway was known as Pennsylvania Route 17. I-86 then merges into Interstate 90 outside Erie. NY 17 is gradually being re-signed as Interstate 86 as part of an upgrade to the route, replacing at-grade intersections and bringing the road up to Interstate standards. North and west of Harriman, at its intersection with Interstate 87 and US 6, NY 17 is informally known as the "Quickway," connecting the New York City metropolitan area with the Southern Tier and Pennsylvania. It is named the "Southern Tier Expressway" to Interstate 81, where it becomes the Quickway. Route 17 is currently the longest New York State Highway. It stretches 397 miles (639 km) and serves eleven counties in the State of New York, including Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, Broome, Delaware, Sullivan, Orange and Rockland. When it becomes fully transformed into Interstate 86 (a step tentatively set for 2012) the title of longest New York State Route will be passed down to Route 5. A short portion of NY 17 (less than a mile) is actually in Pennsylvania. At Waverly, the highway dips south across the border into South Waverly, Pennsylvania, where it intersects with U.S. Route 220. The section in Pennsylvania is maintained by New York.34
Route descriptionPennsylvania to ElmiraNY 17 begins at the point where I-86 crosses the New York-Pennsylvania border in Mina, Chautauqua County. I-86 and NY 17 continue eastward through the Southern Tier, interchanging with NY 426 (exit 4) a short distance from the state line prior to meeting NY 76 (exit 6) south of Sherman. East of exit 8 (NY 394), I-86/NY 17 crosses Chautauqua Lake, then follows the lake shore eastward to Jamestown, where it interchanges with NY 60 at exit 12 due north of the city. East of the city, the expressway meets U.S. Route 62 at exit 14 and is joined by the old Erie Railroad line, which parallels the expressway as it heads across southern New York. Between exits 17 and 18 (NY 280), I-86/NY 17 crosses the Allegheny Reservoir near its northernmost extent. Past NY 280, I-86/NY 17 runs adjacent to the northern extent of the Allegany State Park and follows the reservoir and the connecting Allegheny River eastward to Salamanca. Near downtown Salamanca, I-86/NY 17 meet U.S. Route 219 (exit 21). US 219 joins the expressway east to exit 23 near Carrollton, where it splits from I-86/NY 17 and heads toward Bradford, Pennsylvania, forming the eastern edge of the state park as it heads south. Meanwhile, the expressway continues east to Olean, where it meets NY 417 (a previous alignment of NY 17) at exit 24 west of town and NY 16 (exit 27) north of the area. Past Olean, the route drifts northward away from Pennsylvania toward Hornell, where I-86/NY 17 interchange with NY 36 (exit 34). To the east in Avoca, the Southern Tier Expressway meets the overlapping routes of Interstate 390 and NY 15 at exit 36. While I-390 terminates at the junction, NY 15 joins I-86 and NY 17 southeast through Bath to U.S. Route 15 in Painted Post (exit 44). Here, NY 15 comes to an end while I-86 and NY 17 continue east through Corning to the Elmira suburb of Horseheads. At exit 56 (NY 352), I-86 temporarily terminates as NY 17 continues southeastward through the city of Elmira toward Binghamton. Elmira to HarrimanFrom Elmira to Binghamton, NY 17, the Erie Railroad, and its old alignments generally stay close together. They follow the Chemung River to exit 60 (South Waverly, Pennsylvania) and the Susquehanna River from east of exit 61 (Waverly, New York) to Binghamton; on the latter section, both NY Route 17C and NY Route 434 are old NY 17. Between the two rivers, which intersect in Pennsylvania, the general corridor runs just north of the state line in New York. However, NY 17 itself crosses into Pennsylvania between a point east of exit 60 and a point west of exit 61; additionally, all the ramps at exit 60 and portions of the eastbound ramps at exits 59A and 61 are in Pennsylvania. Despite being in Pennsylvania, these roadways are maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation. Near downtown Binghamton, NY 17 goes around the side of Prospect Mountain at what is locally known as "Kamikaze Curve". Heading eastbound, the freeway curves sharply left around the hillside, splits into ramps to Interstate 81 north and south, and curves right to merge into I-81 south as it passes over the Chenango River. From that point east and southeast about 4 miles (6 km), I-81 and NY 17 run concurrently. NY 17 splits from I-81, the Erie Railroad and the Susquehanna River to the east into Stilson Hollow; from this split (exit 75) to its end, most of I-86 does not follow the Erie Railroad, which crosses into Pennsylvania several times. At the end of Stilson Hollow, NY 17 heads over a summit and into the valley formed by the Occanum Creek. The creek empties into the Susquehanna River at Windsor (exit 79), which NY 17 follows southeast to Damascus (exit 80) before turning northeast along Tuscarora Creek. It soon turns east and southeast over a summit, rejoining the Erie Railroad just north of Gulf Summit. The highway and railroad head east along Oquaga Creek to Deposit (exit 84), where they turn southeast along the West Branch Delaware River. A gap in the freeway stretches from here to just short of Hancock (exit 87), the place the West Branch joins with the East Branch Delaware River. The Erie Railroad continues southeast along the combined Delaware River, while I-86 turns east along the valley formed by the East Branch, closely following the abandoned New York, Ontario and Western Railway to Liberty. At East Branch (exit 90), the East Branch Delaware River turns north, and NY 17 continues east with the Beaver Kill to Roscoe (exit 94), Willowemoc Creek to Livingston Manor (exit 96), and Little Beaver Kill to Parksville (the exit 98 at-grade intersection). The highway and parallel NYO&W pass south over a summit to Liberty (exits 99-100), and continue along the Middle Mongaup River to Ferndale (exit 101). The NYO&W turned east there, but NY 17 continues south over a summit and into the Spring Brook and East Mongaup River valleys past Harris (exit 102). NY 17 then cuts southeast cross-country to Monticello (exit 104; passing Monticello Raceway) and beyond, following the old Newburgh and Cochecton Turnpike (old NY 17) to Bloomingburg (exit 116). The old Middletown and Wurtsboro Turnpike, also old NY 17, and partially NY Route 17M, runs south to Middletown, which NY 17 cuts cross-country to bypass to the east, rejoining NY 17M - and the main line of the Erie Railroad - at Goshen (exit 123). NY 17, its old former alignment (NY 17M) and the Erie run generally east-southeast, partly cross-country and partly through small stream valleys, to the end of the freeway, the directional change in NY 17, and the junction of the Erie with its branch to Newburgh. Harriman to New JerseyRoute 17 leaves Harriman, as an at-grade roadway.5 As it begins its process southward, Route 17 intersects with the eastern terminus of one of its spur routes, New York State Route 17M at 381.45 miles (613.88 kilometres). Route 17 now parallels the Thruway and enters the hamlet of Newburgh Junction, where it passes to the west of a disjointed piece of Harriman State Park.6 Route 17 passes into the disjointed section, where it intersects with Arden Valley Road at 385.05 miles (619.67 kilometres). Route 17 leaves the disjointed piece of Harriman State Park and enters the full park itself.6 Soon afterwards, Route 17 enters the hamlet of Southfields, where it intersects with Orange County Route 19 at 387.55 miles (623.86 kilometres). This intersection is just after Route 17 leaves Harriman State Park for a short time. Route 17 re-enters the Park, intersecting with New York State Route 17A and Orange County Route 106, which heads into the park. Route 17 leaves the Park and enters the town of Tuxedo Park. At the Tuxedo Park train station is access to a couple hiking trails in Harriman State Park.7 Route 17 leaves the town and continues southward towards Suffern.5 Route 17 enters Sloatsburg and intersects with Seven Lakes Drive at 392.65 miles (631.90 kilometres).5 In downtown Sloatsburg, Route 17 intersects with Eagle Valley Road, which becomes Rockland County Route 68. At 393.55 miles (633.35 kilometres), Route 17 interchanges with the part-freeway Rockland County Route 72. Route 17 leaves Sloatsburg and intersects with New York State Route 59. Route 17 becomes concurrent with Interstate 287 and crosses into the state of New Jersey at 396.84 miles (638.65 kilometres).5 Red Apple RestAn attraction along Route 17 in Southfields is the Red Apple Rest.8 Before the Thruway was built, the Red Apple Rest was a major roadside stop along Route 17. The restaurant was opened in May 1931 by Rueben Freed, whose clothing business went bust in the stock market crash. The Red Apple Rest boomed in business during the 1940s and 1950s. The Thruway, which was built in 1953, was not the reason for its demise, but the casinos built around the area. The Red Apple Rest closed in 2006 for no apparent reason but a sign on the wall that said about a vacation then a graduation. The Red Apple Rest was condemned in January 2007 for roof damage.8 HistoryLiberty HighwayThe route of NY 17 was the main portion of an auto trail called the Liberty Highway, which connected New York City to Cleveland9 via Hackensack, Liberty, the Southern Tier, and Erie.citation needed The alignment of NY 17 was first designated as a state highway in the 1909 Highway Law of New York,10 with legislative designation "Route 4". Legislative Route 4 followed the Liberty Highway from the New Jersey state line to Westfield, terminating at Legislative Route 18 (current U.S. Route 20). When New York first signed its state highways with route numbers in 1924,2 Legislative Route 4 was given the official designation of "Route 17". The original Route 17 was 434 miles (698 km) long. It began in Westfield, then passed through Jamestown, Olean, Hornell, Elmira, Binghamton, Liberty, Middletown, and ended at the New Jersey state line in Suffern.11 The original route was more circuitous than the current one. Between Olean and Wellsville, it went via Cuba and Belmont (along modern Route 16, Route 446, and Allegany County Road 20). Between Andover and Jasper, it went via Hornell (along modern Route 21 and Route 36). In the 1930 state highway renumbering, Route 17 basically remained intact. The only changes were the straightening out of the Olean-Wellsville segment (now via Ceres) and the Andover-Jasper segment (now via Greenwood).12 Modern Route 17 is now an expressway along roughly the same alignment as the old route. The old Route 17 is now known by various designations (ignoring minor realignments):
Conversion to expresswayThe explosive growth of the tourism industry in the Catskill Mountains region, which began in the 1930s and intensified after World War II, stretched the rural road to its limits. Scores of hotels, resorts and bungalow colonies attracted hundreds of thousands of vacationing New Yorkers, whose cars left the two-lane NY 17 hopelessly jammed in summer. Many towns, especially the fairly large city of Middletown, were paralyzed on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons in the summertime, as traffic passed through local downtowns and their traffic lights.13 In addition, the tight turns and steep inclines along the route led to numerous fatal crashes, including two milk tanker truck crashes in the mid-1950s. In response, New York State officials planned a four-lane replacement, the first free long-distance expressway in the state and one of the earliest in the United States. It would replace intersections with well-spaced access ramps, separate grades with flyovers, and allow safe travel at up to 65 miles per hour.14 Construction of the NY 17 freeway began in 1947 in the Hudson Valley town of Wallkill.15 The initial section ran from what is now exit 123 in Goshen, and ended at the present day exit 118 in the Wallkill hamlet of Fair Oaks.16 The original designation of this section was the Middletown By-Pass,citation needed and was opened in July 1951. The road was extended in stages over the next two decades. It first was extended east, reaching the New York State Thruway in August 1955.16 To the west, a section of the highway through Sullivan and Delaware counties was built over the right-of-way of the defunct Ontario & Western Railway.citation needed By 1969, with the assistance of federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission procured by New York's U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy,citation needed the 130-mile (210 km) route provided nonstop access between Harriman and Binghamton, from the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) to Interstate 81. Despite flaws in the highway's design — it included a grade-level railroad crossing near Fair Oaks (since removed) and two stretches with intersections and driveway access — the so-called "Quickway" succeeded in easing travel through southern New York, cutting the driving time in half and the accident rate by 70 percent.16 During the 1970s and 1980s, New York State extended the NY 17 freeway westward along a new alignment, which took the route into western Pennsylvania to intersect with Interstate 90 outside the city of Erie.1718 The extension, formally known as the Southern Tier Expressway, was completed by 1989. Like its eastern counterpart, it was not originally a fully limited-access route; it included at-grade segments in Horseheads and Corning,19 while the westernmost leg was a divided two-lane freeway.20 This narrow segment was widened to four lanes in 1998.citation needed The completed NY 17 freeway now serves as a time-saving, non-toll shortcut past the Thruway for motorists going from the New York City area to Ohio and points west. In fact, the Thruway's governing authority initially opposed the highway's construction, fearing the loss of toll revenue on its own route from motorists shunpiking via the free alternate route.16 The road's Interstate future
In 1998, NY 17 from the Pennsylvania state line to Harriman, as well as Pennsylvania Route 17, the continuation of NY 17 west to Interstate 90 near Erie, Pennsylvania, was designated High Priority Corridor 36 in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21).21 New York politicians (including Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan) and businessmen backed the move in the hope that an efficient, high-speed roadway would inspire companies to do business in the state's southern counties.22 Shortly after the passage of TEA-21, Corridor 36 was legislatively designated as Interstate 86 in an amendment to the bill.16 On December 3, 1999, all of PA 17 and the westernmost 185 miles (298 km) of NY 17 were designated as I-86 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)2223 following improvements to bring the roadway up to Interstate Highway standards.16 The designation was then extended eastward to a terminus at NY 14 in Horseheads on January 28, 200423 after that section had been brought up to standards.24 Later, on May 1, 2006, the portion of NY 17 from Interstate 81 in Binghamton east to NY 79 in Windsor was designated as part of I-86,23 increasing the total mileage of I-86 to 195 miles (314 km)25 and creating a temporary gap in the designation.23 In Horseheads, a project to raise the highway and remove at-grade intersections in the village began in April 200426 and was completed on August 20, 2007. On March 28, 2008 NYSDOT was given approval for I-86 be extended eastward over the new roadway.27 The remainder of NY 17 west of I-87 is slated to be signed I-86 in about 2012, after the remaining at-grade sections are converted to limited access.16 Currently, temporary signs mark the route as "Future Interstate 86."28 In addition to the Horseheads project, recent improvements have included the removal of intersections east of Binghamton,29 as well as the widening and straightening of sections in the Hudson Valley towns of Goshen and Chester.16 Cost estimates for the I-86 renovation range from $550 million to $900 million.16 Suffixed routesRoute 17 has had 13 suffixed routes bearing 11 different designations. Five are still assigned to their routes, while eight have been removed or renumbered. The remaining ones may be changed when Route 17 is converted into Interstate 86.
Major intersectionsPennsylvania to Elmira
Elmira to Binghamton
Binghamton to Windsor
Windsor to Harriman
Harriman to New Jersey
See also
Other former alignments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||