New York

[webny99]

I'm actually OK with the change, if only because having one exit instead of two will make it less easily confused with the other (busier?) US 9/I-87 cloverleaf near Malta.

[seicer]

It also doesn't make sense to maintain two aging bridges over the interstate when they were only striped for one through lane each. I am going to assume plans to widen US 9 from each side of the interstate are long dead.

[kernals12]

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-record-328-billion-transportation-infrastructure-part-fy-2023-budget

Governor announced her transportation capital projects for FY 2023. It's official: the Kensington Expressway is staying! They just intend to put a lid on it.

[webny99]

Over the past several years, projects have been completed by the Department of Transportation to further upgrade sections of Route 17, including reconstruction of the interchange at Exit 131, where Route 17 meets Interstate 87 and Route 32 (Woodbury Common) and reconstruction of Exits 122 and 125 (Legoland) to meet interstate standards. Up to $1 billion of the capital plan will be used to accelerate the conversion of the Route 17 corridor in Orange and Sullivan counties to Interstate 86, fueling transformative levels of economic growth in the region and improving quality of life by alleviating congestion.

Interestingly, this push to upgrade NY 17 to I-86 is specific to Orange and Sullivan counties, while the biggest barrier to conversion (the at-grades near Hale Eddy) is actually in Delaware County. Maybe it will end up being designated as far as Liberty or Roscoe, with "Future I-86" posted on the remaining section.

[vdeane]

Over the past several years, projects have been completed by the Department of Transportation to further upgrade sections of Route 17, including reconstruction of the interchange at Exit 131, where Route 17 meets Interstate 87 and Route 32 (Woodbury Common) and reconstruction of Exits 122 and 125 (Legoland) to meet interstate standards. Up to $1 billion of the capital plan will be used to accelerate the conversion of the Route 17 corridor in Orange and Sullivan counties to Interstate 86, fueling transformative levels of economic growth in the region and improving quality of life by alleviating congestion.

Interestingly, this push to upgrade NY 17 to I-86 is specific to Orange and Sullivan counties, while the biggest barrier to conversion (the at-grades near Hale Eddy) is actually in Delaware County. Maybe it will end up being designated as far as Liberty or Roscoe, with "Future I-86" posted on the remaining section.

Hale Eddy is the most visible barrier, but I remember Rothman saying that the majority of the remaining cost was in Orange County.  The sections needing work in the two counties mostly corresponds to the area studied for widening; there are a couple interchanges to the west around Liberty, then everything should meet standards to Roscoe, barring surprises like what was mentioned around Middletown.

Personally, I'm not a fan of what North Carolina did regarding future I-26, and I feel like that signage basically acts as a permission slip to delay the upgrade project as often as they like.  As such, were future I-86 to receive such signage, the chances of it ever being completed in full would probably sink even lower.

[cockroachking]

Over the past several years, projects have been completed by the Department of Transportation to further upgrade sections of Route 17, including reconstruction of the interchange at Exit 131, where Route 17 meets Interstate 87 and Route 32 (Woodbury Common) and reconstruction of Exits 122 and 125 (Legoland) to meet interstate standards. Up to $1 billion of the capital plan will be used to accelerate the conversion of the Route 17 corridor in Orange and Sullivan counties to Interstate 86, fueling transformative levels of economic growth in the region and improving quality of life by alleviating congestion.

Interestingly, this push to upgrade NY 17 to I-86 is specific to Orange and Sullivan counties, while the biggest barrier to conversion (the at-grades near Hale Eddy) is actually in Delaware County. Maybe it will end up being designated as far as Liberty or Roscoe, with "Future I-86" posted on the remaining section.

Hale Eddy is the most visible barrier, but I remember Rothman saying that the majority of the remaining cost was in Orange County.  The sections needing work in the two counties mostly corresponds to the area studied for widening; there are a couple interchanges to the west around Liberty, then everything should meet standards to Roscoe, barring surprises like what was mentioned around Middletown.

Personally, I'm not a fan of what North Carolina did regarding future I-26, and I feel like that signage basically acts as a permission slip to delay the upgrade project as often as they like.  As such, were future I-86 to receive such signage, the chances of it ever being completed in full would probably sink even lower.

I would imagine ROW costs are more in Orange County than in Delaware County, plus I would imagine that the freeway was constructed generally east to west, meaning that the sections in Orange County are older and in more need of some help. Plus, traffic counts are around 6x higher in Orange than Delaware, so it would make sense to prioritize the segments with more traffic, which would also benefit more from upgrades IMO. If it were up to me, I would certainly prioritize upgrades where the LOS borders on abysmal during rush hour as opposed to a segment that operates at LOS A 24/7/365 barring a whiteout or major accident.

I do hope that Hale Eddy gets upgraded soon (more so due to the abhorrent geometry than the at-grades), but I would much rather my tax money go to 6-laning and modernization in Orange, where it is actually necessary and the impacts (and return on investment) would be much greater.

[webny99]

Absolutely, to be clear I am not suggesting the upgrades in Orange and Sullivan counties are not important, only that bringing I-86 to those counties will not mean I-86 is complete until Delaware County/Hale Eddy is also addressed.

With regards to "future" signage, I'd actually be OK with it on that short segment as long as everything else is signed as I-86. I think if it gets to a point where it's just Hale Eddy remaining, it will get done eventually even if it's not right away.

[vdeane]

With regards to "future" signage, I'd actually be OK with it on that short segment as long as everything else is signed as I-86. I think if it gets to a point where it's just Hale Eddy remaining, it will get done eventually even if it's not right away.

But if it's already signed like an interstate, to the point where only a roadgeek would be able to tell the difference, that wouldn't give whoever the governor is whenever Hale Eddy is the last piece standing the big ribbon cutting moment that would be the only motivating factor to actually do the project.  This is especially true because NYSDOT is in preservation mode, so there's only so much money available for beyond preservation projects - and a good chunk of that is used up just with things like bridge replacements.

[astralentity]

Might have been said earlier on here, but what exactly is going on at the Northway exit 17?  I see they've made it just one exit for both directions on US 9 for now.  Is there bridge repair going on or something?

EDIT:  I found it.  Bridge replacement and making the ramps terminate to a T with signals.  I'm actually shocked that there was no mention of roundabouts for this.

https://www.townofmoreau.org/documents/PIN%20104342_U.S.%20Route%209%20over%20Interstate%2087%20at%20Exit%2017_Public%20Information%20Brochure.pdf

There were concerns regarding the transition from a high-speed interchange to a corridor with traffic lights and increasing development.  The project improves safety and reconfigures the interchange to be more in line with how US 9 functions today.  The new bridge will also have wider shoulders, meaning that it should be possible to ride a bike to/from Moreau Lake State Park.

Honestly, I get this.  The real head scratcher was no mention of roundabouts.

[webny99]

I don't know, if there was ever a road that was "not busy enough for a cloverleaf, but too busy for roundabouts™", I feel like US 9 in that part of the state would be it.

[D-Dey65]

Maybe it's just the part of New York that I grew up in, but I'm not used to seeing "Bridge Out" signs anywhere in the State of New York:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3907623,-73.6165434,3a,75y,312.68h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5WaD4mFldFBTrAp9oXKZag!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5WaD4mFldFBTrAp9oXKZag%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D320.8732%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Normally, I'd think most highway departments would find "Road Closed" would be a sufficient enough sign.

[storm2k]

Maybe it's just the part of New York that I grew up in, but I'm not used to seeing "Bridge Out" signs anywhere in the State of New York:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3907623,-73.6165434,3a,75y,312.68h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5WaD4mFldFBTrAp9oXKZag!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D5WaD4mFldFBTrAp9oXKZag%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D320.8732%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Normally, I'd think most highway departments would find "Road Closed" would be a sufficient enough sign.

Honestly that thing has been out since the 2012 GSV. Maybe they should just call that permanently closed, put up some guiderail to prevent traffic from going through and call it a day.

[3467]

The U.S. 219 extension to Interstate 86 was dropped. It's in today's  Federal Register.

[webny99]

The U.S. 219 extension to Interstate 86 was dropped. It's in today's  Federal Register.

Too bad, but not a huge surprise given that the state's priorities are clearly elsewhere.

[seicer]

Rescission of the Notice of Intent for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Erie and Cattaraugus Counties, NY

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that we are rescinding the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the highway improvement project: US Route 219 Springville to Salamanca, NY Route 39 to NY Route 17 (Interstate 86), Erie and Cattaraugus Counties, New York [New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Project Identification Number 5101.84].

[Rothman]

Rescission of the Notice of Intent for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Erie and Cattaraugus Counties, NY

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that we are rescinding the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the highway improvement project: US Route 219 Springville to Salamanca, NY Route 39 to NY Route 17 (Interstate 86), Erie and Cattaraugus Counties, New York [New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Project Identification Number 5101.84].

Heh.  'Bout time.

[The Ghostbuster]

Does this mean that the US 219 Southern Expressway will have a permanent southern terminus at Peters Rd.?

[Rothman]

Does this mean that the US 219 Southern Expressway will have a permanent southern terminus at Peters Rd.?

If by "permanent" you mean, "for at least a generation," yes.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Does this mean that the US 219 Southern Expressway will have a permanent southern terminus at Peters Rd.?

This article explains WNY's challenges well. US 219 is mentioned.

https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/the-challenges-of-being-buffalo-in-todays-new-york-state/

[Roadgeek Adam]

There's no demand or heavy enough traffic. As someone who uses the 219/Southern Expressway regularly, there is rarely any traffic south of New Armor Duells Road (NY 952J) and even less traffic south of Creekside/391. There is no demand for the rest to be finished, maybe.maybe....maybe with a bypass of Ellicottville. Otherwise, there's no way anything's being built south of Cattaraugus CR 101 (Peters Road). Not to mention Ashford Hollow is a speed trap the NY State Police use to their advantage (speaking from experience).

Only thing 219 needs at this point is exit numbers.

[machias]

Only thing 219 needs at this point is exit numbers.

I've never understood NYSDOT's hesitation to put exit numbers in Western New York on the freeway portions of US 219, NY 33, and NY 400. NY Route 33 has more interchanges than I-290, yet 33 doesn't get exit numbers. It's such an outdated practice.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Lack of incentive.

[MATraveler128]

Only thing 219 needs at this point is exit numbers.

I've never understood NYSDOT's hesitation to put exit numbers in Western New York on the freeway portions of US 219, NY 33, and NY 400. NY Route 33 has more interchanges than I-290, yet 33 doesn't get exit numbers. It's such an outdated practice.

Don’t forget NY 104 and the Lake Ontario State Parkway. If that even counts as WNY.

[vdeane]

There's no demand or heavy enough traffic. As someone who uses the 219/Southern Expressway regularly, there is rarely any traffic south of New Armor Duells Road (NY 952J) and even less traffic south of Creekside/391. There is no demand for the rest to be finished, maybe.maybe....maybe with a bypass of Ellicottville. Otherwise, there's no way anything's being built south of Cattaraugus CR 101 (Peters Road). Not to mention Ashford Hollow is a speed trap the NY State Police use to their advantage (speaking from experience).

Only thing 219 needs at this point is exit numbers.

I personally find US 219 to be quite not fun to drive between I-86 and Peters Road.  Being stuck behind slowpokes is rather common.

And to think that, 15 years ago, the next section to Snake Run Road was under design and scheduled to be finished well before now.  Things sure have changed!

[Roadgeek Adam]

There's more than enough places to deal with slowpokes on 219. Heaven knows I have.