Forming a multi state route with PA 5 west to Erie, NY 5 runs along the south shore of Lake Erie from the state line northeast to Lackawanna. The Buffalo Skyway leads the route north into Downtown Buffalo. Turning east from Buffalo through Williamsville, NY 5 parallels the New York Thruway to Batavia and Le Roy. Dropping southward, NY 5 combines with U.S. 20 east from Avon to Auburn and the Finger Lakes Region.
U.S. 20 stays south and bypasses the Syracuse area while NY 5 shifts northward to Camillus, where it joins a freeway east to Fairmount. Beyond Downtown Syracuse, NY 5 continues to the town of DeWitt and into Fayetteville. The highway again parallels the New York Thruway leading east to Utica. Overlapping with Interstate 790, NY 5 spans the Mohawk River west of Downtown Utica to run directly alongside Thruway. NY 5 follows the Mohawk River east to Herkimer, Little Falls and Amsterdam.
Entering the Capital District, NY 5 runs southeast to Scotia and Downtown Schenectady. The state route continues to Colonie and Albany, where it passes just north of Empire State Plaza. NY 5 concludes at I-787 along the Hudson River.
New York State Route 5 Guides
NY 5 along the Buffalo Skyway above Seymour H Knox III Plaza in Downtown Buffalo. 05/27/00
Bids for construction of the 4.6 mile realignment of New York Route 5 through the town of Camillus were opened by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) on August 9, 1973. Work built the four to six lane expressway with a 24 to 48 foot wide median from near Bellie Isle Road to Old Route 5 a half mile east of Ike Dixson Road. Associated construction improved six miles of local roads. Interchanges were built at Newport, Bennett, Hinsdale and Warner Roads.1 A $15.62 million contract was awarded to D.W. Winkelman Company of Syracuse for the project on October 2, 1973. The same contractor also won a $4.85 million bid to expand 1.9 miles of NY 5 through DeWitt into a six-lane boulevard.2
 scenes |
  | Wolf Road parallels Interstate 87 south from Albany Shaker Road through a commercial corridor. The arterial ends at NY 5 (Central Avenue) at the cloverleaf interchange with I-87. 08/04/07 |
 | A ramp independent of NY 5 joins Wolf Road south with I-87 north. 08/04/07 |
 | NY 5 follows Central Avenue northwest to Colonie and southeast into the city of Albany. Interstate 87 (Adirondack Northway) meets the state route at Exit 2 adjacent to Wolf Road. 08/04/07 |
- "Route 5 Due for Revamp." The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), July 18, 1973.
- "2 Pacts OKd for Route 5." The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), October 3, 1973.
Photo Credits:
08/04/07 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 87
Interstate 787
U.S. 20
Route 695
Page Updated 03-12-2020.