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.
right|thumb|Southern Tier Expressway signage along NY 17Route description
Pennsylvania to Elmira
NY 21 signs off an I-86/NY 17 interchange
NY 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 Harriman
Sign along eastbound NY 17 marking return to New York after its brief foray into Pennsylvania.
From 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.
NY 17 merges here with I-81 for 2-miles before splitting in Binghamton.
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.
This traffic light in the Sullivan County hamlet of Parksville is the only one remaining on Route 17. A nearly three-mile bypass is now under construction to avoid the intersection (and the hamlet itself) entirely.
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 Jersey
NY 17 from Arden Valley Road
Route 17 leaves
Harriman, as an at-grade roadway.
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.
[Harriman-Bear Mountain Trail Maps - Map 4, The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, New York, N.Y., 2005.] 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.
Picture of NY 17 at a blinker near the Tuxedo Train Station
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.
[Harriman-Bear Mountain Trail Maps - Map 3, The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, New York, N.Y., 2005.] Route 17 leaves the town and continues southward towards
Suffern.
Route 17 enters
Sloatsburg and intersects with
Seven Lakes Drive at 392.65 miles (631.90 kilometres).
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).
Red Apple Rest
Red Apple Rest, a dying roadside attraction
An attraction along Route 17 in Southfields is the
Red Apple Rest.
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.
History
Liberty Highway
State Route 17 at Liberty, New York
The route of NY 17 was the main portion of an
auto trail called the
Liberty Highway, which connected
New York City to
Cleveland via
Hackensack,
Liberty, the
Southern Tier, and
Erie. The alignment of NY 17 was first designated as a state highway in the 1909 Highway Law of New York, 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,
[ legislative Route 4 was given the official designation of "Route 17". The original Route 17 was 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.][Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1929-30 edition, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1929)] 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).[Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1931-32 edition, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1931)]
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):
- NY 394 (Jamestown-Steamburg)
- Addison-South Hamilton Road/US 15 (Erwin-Painted Post)
- NY 415/Bridge Street (Painted Post-Corning)
- Chemung County Road 64 (Big Flats-Horseheads)
- NY 14/NY 352 (Horseheads-Elmira)
- Chemung/Tioga County Road 60 (Lowman-Waverly)
- NY 434/Broome County Road 44 (Owego-Binghamton)
- US 11 (Binghamton-Kirkwood Center)
- NY 17/Broome County Road 28 (Kirkwood Center-Deposit)
- "Old Route 17" (Delaware CR 17/Sullivan CR 179A to 174) (Deposit-Monticello)
- Sullivan CR 173 to 171 (Monticello-Bloomingburg)
- Orange County Road 76/NY 17M (Bloomingburg-Harriman)
- NY 17 (Harriman-New Jersey line).
Conversion to expressway
The 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. 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 .
Construction of the NY 17 freeway began in 1947 in the Hudson Valley town of Wallkill.[National Bridge Inventory, a database compiled by the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, available at www.nationalbridges.com. Accessed 2007-12-18.] 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.
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. 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, while the westernmost leg was a divided two-lane freeway. This narrow segment was widened to four lanes in 1998.
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.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). 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.
On December 3, 1999, all of PA 17 and the westernmost of NY 17 were designated as I-86 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
In Horseheads, a project to raise the highway and remove at-grade intersections in the village began in April 2004 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.
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.
Cost estimates for the I-86 renovation range from $550 million to $900 million.Suffixed routes
Route 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.
NY 17B in Sullivan County
- NY 17C (
- NY 17E was an alternate route of NY 17 between Big Flats and Elmira in Chemung County. The route, assigned in 1930, was later renumbered to NY 352.
- NY 17G was a spur assigned in 1930 to what is now NY 248 south of NY 417. It became part of an extended NY 248 by 1950.
NY 17J marked on a topographical map in 1948
- NY 17M (
Major intersections
Expressway portion
Harriman to New Jersey
See also
Other former alignments
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