NYS Thruway-early Albany interchanges?

[empirestate]

The USGS topo map of Albany from 1953 shows the Thruway under construction, including what appear to be full interchange ramps at US 20, NY 85 (New Scotland Road at the time) and NY 43 (now NY 443), in addition to the proto-versions of current exits 23 and 24. Apart from the last two, these same ramps are shown clearly graded on a 1952 photo on Historic Aerials.

It's known that a similar temporary interchange was in use at one time in Victor, at NY 96, when one of the first Thruway sections was opened on a free basis. Was the same ever true of these Albany interchanges, or were they perhaps only ever used for construction access? And are there other places where preliminary or temporary interchanges existed on the Thruway in its early days?

For what it's worth, only the faintest vestiges of these ramps can be found today (or could, before the current widening project kicked in), most prominently here: http://goo.gl/maps/PCVn8 (turn off 45-degree imagery). Clearer indications can be seen of their rights-of-way, still in use in some places as utility corridors or maintenance yards.

[xcellntbuy]

Exit 24 on the Thruway way back in 1960 was for Washington Avenue Extension.  There was no Northway.  The path of Washington Avenue Extension has been altered tremendously and multiple times over the years.  If I remember correctly, I believe the construction of the Northway began in 1962.  There was a massive rebuild of the Thruway, Northway and Interstate 90 interchanges in 1989 eliminating the cloverleaf for lots of two-lane flyovers.  Every time I return to New York, I am amazed at all the changes from a long ago "simpler" time.

[NE2]

Nothing in 1956:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~212206~5500286:Shell-Street-Guide-and-Metropolitan?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~212208~5500287:Albany---Troy---Schenectady-and-Vic?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No

My best guess is that tolls were added to the plans after construction began.

[dgolub]

My best guess is that tolls were added to the plans after construction began.

Makes sense.  The exits tend to be far apart on toll highways so that they don't have to build too many tollbooths.

[machias]

The USGS topo map of Albany from 1953 shows the Thruway under construction, including what appear to be full interchange ramps at US 20, NY 85 (New Scotland Road at the time) and NY 43 (now NY 443), in addition to the proto-versions of current exits 23 and 24. Apart from the last two, these same ramps are shown clearly graded on a 1952 photo on Historic Aerials.

It's known that a similar temporary interchange was in use at one time in Victor, at NY 96, when one of the first Thruway sections was opened on a free basis. Was the same ever true of these Albany interchanges, or were they perhaps only ever used for construction access? And are there other places where preliminary or temporary interchanges existed on the Thruway in its early days?

For what it's worth, only the faintest vestiges of these ramps can be found today (or could, before the current widening project kicked in), most prominently here: http://goo.gl/maps/PCVn8 (turn off 45-degree imagery). Clearer indications can be seen of their rights-of-way, still in use in some places as utility corridors or maintenance yards.

I think the free parts of the Thruway were from a temporary interchange at NY Route 26 near Lowell (between Utica and Verona) to NY Route 96 in Victor, but I'm not 100% on that.

[empirestate]

I think the free parts of the Thruway were from a temporary interchange at NY Route 26 near Lowell (between Utica and Verona) to NY Route 96 in Victor, but I'm not 100% on that.

Yeah, the historical time line on your site ( http://www.upstatenyroads.com/thruway-history1.shtml ) mentions several such stretches, including near Albany, Syracuse, and along the Hudson, but I didn't notice any in the Albany area. Since that stretch opened in late '54, presumably on a tolled basis, it seems quite unlikely that several free interchanges would have had time to be used, if they were barely open, if at all, the previous year. But they were obviously built, or prepared for at least...maybe it is true that plans changed about whether to toll the Albany stretch if not the whole highway?

[KEVIN_224]

Any idea when the western end of the Berkshire Connector was built? I'm referring to the portion between the junction of I-87 east to the junction of "free" I-90 in Schodack.

[xcellntbuy]

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6TER_Castleton_Bridge_Castleton_on_Hudson_NY

1959

[amroad17]

Just out of curiousity, why wouldn't NYSDOT finish the Northway to the Thruway?  I know that it cannot be done now with the development and the ramps to the Crossgates Mall in the way but, if they had used any foreshadowing, they could have had I-87 seemlessly transition onto the Thruway.  The connection could have been used for those coming from and going to New York (and points between) and would have lessened the load at the current interchange.  A toll booth could have been built where the ramps are for the mall.

In other words, if you were on I-87 south and wanted to get to Kingston or Newburgh, you would continue ahead on the Northway, pick up your ticket, and transition onto the Thruway instead of exiting, going through the tollbooth mess, and looping around to go south once again.

NYSTA probably wanted to have just one entry/exit point for the interchange instead of two.

[dgolub]

NYSTA probably wanted to have just one entry/exit point for the interchange instead of two.

Probably.  They tend to keep exits and entrances to a minimum on toll highways.  However, what you're saying probably makes sense here since we're talking about such major highways.

[vdeane]

I recall something about E-ZPass only ramps to do that, which would still fit, and also not affect the US 20 interchange.  The original plans were for I-87 to run alongside the Thruway (like I-790 and NY 49 do) before merging on at I-787.

As for minimizing toll booths, check out Thruway exit 20.

[empirestate]

I recall something about E-ZPass only ramps to do that, which would still fit, and also not affect the US 20 interchange.  The original plans were for I-87 to run alongside the Thruway (like I-790 and NY 49 do) before merging on at I-787.

That's my recollection as well: the Northway (Fuller Road Alternate) doesn't feed into the Thruway the way it looks like it ought, because it was originally supposed to continue south a ways longer.

As for minimizing toll booths, check out Thruway exit 20.

Exactly; case in point. Exit 20 has two toll booths, and is conspicuously the only such interchange on the entire Thruway system, unless my memory severely fails me. (That's not counting the different booths at Exit 16 and the Harriman barrier, which control different toll rates for different movements.) So it does indeed seem that a single toll collection point was, if not a requirement, at least an overriding design criterion for the Thruway, as opposed to something like the Garden State Parkway in NJ. But that's usual among ticketed toll systems like the Thruway, Mass Pike, PA Turnpike etc.

That said, I agree it shouldn't be a huge deal to get a couple of direct ramps installed for I-87 via the Fuller Alternate.