New York State Route 55 is a state highway in southern New York, running from the Pennsylvania state line at the Delaware River in Barryville to the Connecticut state line at Wingdale. It is the only other state highway beside NY 7 to completely cross the state, from border to border, in an east-west direction, although NY 17 does so and is partially east-west. It also forms the state's second-longest surface road concurrency after the Finger Lakes US 20-NY 5 pairing, when it joins US 44 for 33 miles (53 km).

Together with NY 52, which it closely parallels and briefly joins in downtown Liberty, it forms the latitudinal backbone of the Hudson Valley region for non-interstate traffic. It offers the traveler a wide variety of landscapes, from farmlands, mountains and forests to the urban center of Poughkeepsie. Sights along the way include two of New York City's major reservoirs in the Catskills, a dramatic crossing of the Shawangunk Ridge, and the Mid-Hudson Bridge.

Route description

Delaware River to Liberty

NY 55 begins when PA 434 crosses the bridge from Shohola, Pennsylvania into the southern Sullivan County hamlet of Barryville. Almost immediately upon reaching the New York side, it intersects the river-paralleling NY 97. From there it heads mostly due north, despite its east-west signage, through Sullivan's heavily wooded southwest corner. In this area, the road follows Sullivan County routes, Some NY 55 shields posted by the county, and have a small "NY" visible atop the shields (after an older state standard). This section is currently maintained by Sullivan County as CR 11 (Brook Road) from NY 97 & CR 11A (River Road) to CR 12 (Board Road), CR 32 (Proctor Road) & CR 33 (Eldred-Yulan Road), CR 12 (Board Road) from CR 11, CR 32 & CR 33 to CR 13 (White Lake Road) & CR 26 (Crystal Lake Road), CR 13 (White Lake Road) from CR 12 & 26 to NY 17B, CR 14 (Swan Lake Road) from NY 17B to CR 15 (Liberty Road) & CR 74 (West Mongaup Road), CR 15 (Liberty Road) from CR 14 & CR 74 to the Liberty village line, CR 16 (Neversink Road) from the Liberty village line to Aden Road A, and CR 17 (Neversink Road) from Wilson Shields Road to Wagners Road.

After passing Toronto Reservoir, which serves local communities, it finally reaches its next junction NY 17B, at White Lake, more than 15 miles (24 km) from its start. 55 joins 17B eastward for 0.8 mile (1.4 km) around the south end of the lake, then returns to its northerly bearing. Once past the lake, it begins to trend more to the northeast, taking it through another quiet vacation hamlet, Swan Lake and finally to the village of Liberty after 11 miles (17.6 km).

In Liberty it meets NY 52, joining it for two blocks, then leaves town finally oriented more directly east and exchanging places with 52 as the northern regional trunk route. Access to NY 17, the future Interstate 86, was until recently provided via either 52 or another nearby street. In 2000 a limited exit, 100A, was constructed near a state police barracks to provide direct access from 55 to 17 eastbound. The NY 52 eastern junction in Liberty was rebuilt as a roundabout in 2007.

Catskills

Beyond Liberty, NY 55 enters a less populous region of the county, climbing to Neversink Reservoir, where it becomes the only state highway to run across the top of a New York City watershed dam. Descending from this, it crosses the Blue Line to enter the Catskill Park.
Shortly after this point, Sullivan County Route 19 intersects from the north. This route was once the middle segment of NY 42, and indeed 42 shields can be seen along the route immediately following the junction, and its reference markers displace those of 55 alongside the road. In the next settlement of consequence, the hamlet of Grahamsville, 13 miles (21 km) east of Liberty, the current southern segment of 42 intersects from the south and the signage returns to 55.
Immediately upon taking leave of Grahamsville and passing through the Grahamsville Historic District, then by Tri-Valley Central School, the road drops slightly and Rondout Reservoir recedes into the distance ahead. NY 55A splits off to follow the northern shore, while 55 remains along the south side, crossing into Ulster County. Over the next 9 miles (14.4 km) until 55A rejoins, there are many beautiful views of the reservoir available from alongside the road.

Shortly after Merriman Dam at Rondout's east end, the two roads descend and rejoin near the southern tip of Catskill Park. 55 slowly descends and bends to a more southeasterly route as it winds 5 miles (9 km) alongside Rondout Creek to the hamlet of Napanoch, where it joins US 209 in its due northeast course up the Rondout Valley.

US 44 and Shawangunks

At the Valero station just south of Kerhonkson, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Napanoch, NY 55 turns eastward once again, as US 44 begins. The two highways, which will remain joined for long enough that they are known locally by both numbers, immediately begin a gentle climb into the Shawangunks (known colloquially as the "Gunks"), crossing the aqua blazes of the Long Path hiking trail as they do so.

Two miles further on, a wide open section bordered by just a stone wall on one side offers a sweeping panorama to the northwest, taking in much of the Catskills. Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the range, can be seen amid the lower peaks around it, and more to the north Greene County's Devil's Path is visible in all its splendor. This section takes up an entire mile, with parking areas available at either end for those drivers who wish to stop and take it in.

The highway continues on through the scrubby forests and rock outcrops that characterize the northern Shawangunks. A mile of winding past trailheads and woods brings on the main entrance to the first of two highly popular recreation spots in this area, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, which features many miles of hiking trails, picnic grounds and a popular glacial lake. The forests alongside the highway grow a bit taller as it passes several scenic waterfalls, where cars often defy local parking regulations so their occupants can stop and look, as it descends to reach the parking areas for the Mohonk Preserve roughly another mile past Minnewaska.

Here, at the eastern edge of the Gunks, are located the white cliffs that have long attracted climbers to Mohonk, and many of them are likely to be parked here on good days. Another parking area allows views of not only these cliffs but the sprawling central Hudson Valley below.
Immediately afterward the road bends and descends somewhat steeply into an extremely tight hairpin turn, where the posted speed limit drops to 5 miles (10 km) per hour. So notorious is this turn local lore has it (falsely) that it was the site of Bob Dylan's serious 1966 motorcycle accident.

Hudson Valley

Just below the turn, past the Mohonk Preserve Visitors' Center, NY 299 departs eastward, towards New Paltz. US 44/NY 55 continues southward, gradually returning to its eastward heading as it drops, crossing the Wallkill River, passing through quaint Gardiner and intersecting scenic NY 208 a mile east of the hamlet at a junction known as Ireland Corners.
Past 208 the road begins to wend and weave through the farms and apple orchards in this region of the county, crossing under the New York State Thruway between the hamlets of Modena and Ardonia. No direct crossing is available, however access is available farther east via NY 299. Modena, 6 miles (10 km) from Gardiner, is marked by a traffic light at the intersection with NY 32, the major north-south state highway west of the Hudson.

East of Modena, through Clintondale, the road begins to climb once again into the glacial ridge separating this area from the river. At the notch 44-55 passes through, sweeping views are once again possible in good weather over the orchards ahead. A short descent and two more miles brings the highway to Highland, the small unincorporated community across from Poughkeepsie. Just past it, 44-55 makes a tricky turn to join US 9W southbound. A mile-long concurrency past gas stations and fast-food restaurants ends at an overhead ramp to the Mid-Hudson Bridge's toll plazas.

Poughkeepsie

The road then descends again and bends southward to the bridge approach through a deep rock cut. As it once again heads eastward to cross the river, the Poughkeepsie skyline sprawls ahead. Immediately upon entry into the city, offramps lead to the US 9 freeway along the river's edge, and the nearby train station.
In the city, where 44-55 forms the main arterial, the routes divide, with one street carrying eastbound traffic and the other westbound. They run sometimes as much as two blocks apart, with what was for many years the city's attempt at a pedestrian mall (known as the Main Mall) between them. Only in Poughkeepsie's eastern end, shortly after the NY 376 junction near Vassar College, does two-way traffic return. Shortly afterwards, 44 and 55 part ways after over .

Prior to the construction of Poughkeepsie's east-west arterial in the 1970s, 44 and 55 went on Church Street from the bridge to its intersection with Main Street, then on Main Street eastward to the outskirts of the city, where it forked into the two separate routes.

Dutchess County

From the split, NY 55 heads at first east, through LaGrange and its interchange with the Taconic State Parkway just east of Arlington High School. It continues virtually due east to NY 82 at Billings, where it begins taking a more southeasterly tack.

This takes it to the eastern terminus of NY 216 at Poughquag, then up into the hills of the Town of Beekman, where the Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses the road and NY 292 comes to its northern end. Descending once again into the Harlem Valley, 55 reaches NY 22 just south of Pawling.

Instead of ending at this major north-south route, 55 joins it, heading north for 7 miles (11 km) and crossing the AT once again near the Metro-North flag stop. At Webutuck, it leaves to the east, winding its way to the Connecticut state line after 3 miles (5 km). It becomes CT 55, which continues another 2.6 miles (4 km) to its own eastern terminus at US 7.

History

Farmers' Turnpike

From the intersection with Ulster County 7 west of Gardiner to US 9W, US 44/NY 55 follows the Farmers' Turnpike, built by a private company established in March 1808. Its purpose was to allow the transport of agricultural products from the Gardiner area to docks on the Hudson at Milton. retrieved from mylocalgov.com March 5, 2007.
The route at that time followed the north end of Albany Post Road (Ulster County 9) over the Shawangunk Kill and then east along the kill's south bank to ford the Wallkill just south of the confluence.

Designation

In 1924, the segment of modern NY 55 from Pawling to Wingdale was designated as part of NY 22. By 1926, a small portion of NY 55 between what is now NY 216 and NY 292 near Poughquag was signed as part of NY 39. The remainder of the current route was unnumbered until 1930.

In the 1930 renumbering, NY 55 was assigned to its current alignment (excluding minor realignments east of Poughquag) between NY 97 in Barryville and NY 22 in Pawling.Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering The route was extended northward along NY 22 to Wingdale and eastward to Connecticut by 1935.

NY 55A

NY 55A

NY 55A () is an alternate route of NY 55 along the north side of the Rondout Reservoir between Grahamsville and Napanoch.

Major intersections