NY - I-90 in Albany and the Berkshire Spur

[Dougtone]

Today's Albany Times Union has a segment in their weekly Getting There? column that explains some of the history behind how I-90 is designated in the Albany, NY area as well as the Berkshire Spur.  The long and short of the article was that I-90 was originally designated on the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, but as free I-90 was built, the designation was moved onto the free portion of road.  Additionally, there were talks in 1999 between state and federal officials about the possibility of moving I-90 back onto the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, while extending I-88 onto what we know as free I-90.  There would have also had been an I-88/I-90 multiplex between Rotterdam and Albany as a result.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=916307

[akotchi]

Interesting read.  There would also have been an I-87/I-90 multiplex between Exits 24 and 21B, all else equal, and a lot of route confusion at Exit 24.  Could that have been why it was not done?

[Brandon]

Why was a free I-90 built anyway with the already existing Berkshire Spur built and ready to accept an interstate number?  To me, it would've seemed better and easier just to use the existing road.

[xcellntbuy]

Interesting.  I had never heard about this proposal before.  The Thruway Authority must have been looking to have the federal monies repair the extremely underutilized section of the Berkshire Spur and the two Castleton-on-Hudson bridges.

[Snappyjack]

My idea was always to have I-90 stay along with I-87 between 24 and 21A to the berkshire spur, then have current free 90 renumbered as a spur of I-87, something like I-487 or whatever.

[Stephane Dumas]

My idea was always to have I-90 stay along with I-87 between 24 and 21A to the berkshire spur, then have current free 90 renumbered as a spur of I-87, something like I-487 or whatever.

+1 for I-487 or even I-687

[Duke87]

There would also have been an I-87/I-90 multiplex between Exits 24 and 21B

Strictly speaking, there already is an 87/90 multiplex... for the quarter mile between where the ramps for Thruway exit 24 converge and the interchange with the Northway.
Incidentally, if anyone ever asks you "what is the furthest east multiplex between two 2 digit interstates?", that's the answer. Tricky!

[Ian]

My idea was always to have I-90 stay along with I-87 between 24 and 21A to the berkshire spur, then have current free 90 renumbered as a spur of I-87, something like I-487 or whatever.

I'd rather have an I-x90 because both ends are really at I-90 and would be an alternate of I-90.

[akotchi]

There are no even x90's left in New York State.  Would have to be an x87 anyway.

[Ian]

Ah yes, I forgot about that. Well, we could eliminate one of the x90s. How about 390, which could become a continuation of I-99.

[mightyace]

There are no even x90's left in New York State.  Would have to be an x87 anyway.

There are no odd x90's left in New York State either.

Of course, if I-99 gets extended to Rochester, then I-390 could be reused, say for the unnumbered Berkshire mileage.

[cu2010]

How about 790? I don't think anyone would care if the current 790 designation magically disappeared, owing the fact it shouldn't have that designation anyways.

[mgk920]

There are no even x90's left in New York State.  Would have to be an x87 anyway.

How about an eastward extension of I-890 (or might the needed multiplex with I-90 on the Thruway mainline be unnecessarily confusing)?  Perhaps a 'local/express' pairing could be developed between Albany (interchange 24) and Schenectady (interchange 25) with the I-90 Thruway ticket-tollway mainline being the inner lanes and 'I-890' be 'free' local lanes added on the outside (like with I-790 at Utica).    As an added benefit, it would cut down on tollgate congestion at interchange 24.  When I was out there visiting friends a couple of times about ten years ago, I was stuck in a fairly lengthy delay EVERY TIME I went through that tollgate.



Mike

[rickmastfan67]

Here's what I think should be done.

Make the free section of I-90 as I-87.  The current I-87 as I-90.  And then have both routes multiplex on the Berkshire Spur.  Then make the short "current" I-90/I-87 multiplex as hidden I-187.

That way, everything will keep an Interstate number and you even gain mileage.

Plus, an added benefit, you connect I-787 with I-87 properly.

[froggie]

How about 790? I don't think anyone would care if the current 790 designation magically disappeared, owing the fact it shouldn't have that designation anyways.

Except when you factor in proposals being discussed to route I-790 along NY 49 towards Rome...

How about an eastward extension of I-890

One of the 1960s-era plans for freeway construction in the Capital Region (which I found, but I don't remember where I found it) had a freeway looping from the eastern I-90/I-890 interchange (Exit 25), south and southeastward, west of Westmere, Slingerlands, and Selkirk, ending at the Thruway/Berkshire Spur junction.  Such a freeway would have neatly solved the problem of what to call the Berkshire Spur.

As for what to do with it, given the confusion factor of relocating I-87 or I-90 (sorry, James, but your idea would never fly, and BTW I-787 does connect with I-87 properly), and given that all the x90 numbers are taken, you could either give it an x87 number, or simply leave it as "To I-87" or "To I-90", which also works since there are NO intermediate interchanges between I-87 and I-90.

[Ian]

How about make the free I-90 become a state route? There are many NY state routes that are freeways. We couldn't make it an NY x90 because pretty much all of the NY x90s are also taken either as interstate extensions or routes across the state. We could eliminate the very short NY 890 at the west end of I-890 and make free I-90 NY 890.

[froggie]

Probably because "free I-90" was built with Interstate money, and partly because of that it's very much a part of the Interstate system.

[Brandon]

How about make the free I-90 become a state route? There are many NY state routes that are freeways. We couldn't make it an NY x90 because pretty much all of the NY x90s are also taken either as interstate extensions or routes across the state. We could eliminate the very short NY 890 at the west end of I-890 and make free I-90 NY 890.

Actually, that's not a bad idea, but I have a different execution.  New York uses a lot of suffixed state routes.  Why not a NY-90x such as NY-90N?

[Jim]

As for what to do with it, given the confusion factor of relocating I-87 or I-90 (sorry, James, but your idea would never fly, and BTW I-787 does connect with I-87 properly), and given that all the x90 numbers are taken, you could either give it an x87 number, or simply leave it as "To I-87" or "To I-90", which also works since there are NO intermediate interchanges between I-87 and I-90.

I guess you could say that segment is just a very long ramp from I-90 West at B1 to I-87, or from I-87 to I-90 East...  I'd be happy to see it designated as I-187 (or whatever 3di number seems most appropriate), leaving the other designations alone.  Having the mainline of an Interstate go through a city, as I-90 does in Albany, and a 3di bypass it is just as valid as the mainline bypassing and a 3di serving the city.

Of course, I'd like to see the whole New York Interstate system renumbered with consistent, mileage-based exit numbers, but that's not happening any time soon.  Then, you'd "exit" I-90 if you want to stay on the Thruway at what are currently interchanges 24 and B1. 

[vdeane]

NY is going to go to mileage-based numbers eventually (due to the MUTCD), but how they would interact with the Thruway remains to be seen.

[agentsteel53]

Actually, that's not a bad idea, but I have a different execution.  New York uses a lot of suffixed state routes.  Why not a NY-90x such as NY-90N?

are any suffixed routes freeways of significant length, like the Free I-90?  (Not counting 94x, 97x and 99x routes that are named parkways of freeway standard)

[Ian]

Actually, that's not a bad idea, but I have a different execution.  New York uses a lot of suffixed state routes.  Why not a NY-90x such as NY-90N?

are any suffixed routes freeways of significant length, like the Free I-90?  (Not counting 94x, 97x and 99x routes that are named parkways of freeway standard)

NY 9A is sort of a freeway in New York City when it runs along the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Also, this is sort of turning into a topic which should be moved to the fictional highways.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Actually, that's not a bad idea, but I have a different execution.  New York uses a lot of suffixed state routes.  Why not a NY-90x such as NY-90N?

are any suffixed routes freeways of significant length, like the Free I-90?  (Not counting 94x, 97x and 99x routes that are named parkways of freeway standard)

Suffixed routes are being ended slowly. Also, I-90N once applied to the alignment of current day 190 and will not happen again

[mightyace]

NY is going to go to mileage-based numbers eventually (due to the MUTCD), but how they would interact with the Thruway remains to be seen.

This may have been asked before.  Does the NYSTA have to renumber the Thruway with mileage based exits as they are not a federally funded highway?

[froggie]

Yes they would.  New York State adopted the Federal MUTCD, and as a state agency, the Thruway Authority would also have to comply.