Interstate 687

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Interstate 687
Cancelled route of the Interstate Highway System

Existed:

– 1973

Numbered highways in New York
< I-684		I-690 >
Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference

Interstate 687 was a proposed and heavily opposed intrastate Interstate Highway in Upstate New York that was to connect Interstate 90 and Interstate 87 in Albany County, New York, then proceeding to the Albany International Airport and finally terminating at the also cancelled Interstate 88 extension. The construction of the road was started, despite controversy. However, continuing opposition from residents of the Town of Colonie led to the ultimate cancellation of the project in 1973.^[1]

[edit] Route description

I-687 was to begin at Exit 5A of I-90 in Albany. The interstate, also to be known as the "Northside-Northway Connection", was then planned to go through residential neighborhoods of the Town of Colonie and have interchanges at Everett Road, Osborne Road, the proposed extension of the Route 85 Crosstown Arterial from Interstate 90, and Wolf Road. The highway was then planned to intersect with I-87 (theNorthway) as Exit 3 of I-87 and connect to the Albany International Airport, and proceed to the cancelled I-88 extension to Vermont. It would have forced hundreds of households from their homes, which are located off of Albany-Shaker Road. By way of comparison, today's Crossing Park in Colonie would have been directly in the path of 687. Exit 3 of I-87 is still non-existent as space was planned for it between Exits 2 and 4. Meanwhile, the only physical evidence of I-687 is the overly large interchange of Exit 5A of I-90, which is now used for Corporate Woods Blvd. To this day, there is still no exit 3 on I-87, which would have been for 687.