Interstate 790

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Interstate 790 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
North-South Arterial
Length:	2.41 mi[1] (3.88 km)
Formed:	1960s [2]
South end:	NY 5/NY 5A/NY 5S/NY 8/NY 12 in Utica
North end:	I-90/NY Thwy service roads to Thruway interchange 31
Numbered highways in New York < NY 787 NY 812 > Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference

Interstate 790 (abbreviated I-790) is a tertiary spur interstate route of Interstate 90. Interstate 790 is an intrastate interstate that is located entirely in the state of New York. I-790 runs for 2.4 miles (3.9 km) roughly north-south. The interstate's sole purpose is to connect I-90 with downtown Utica, New York. The northern terminus of I-790 is at Interstate 90 while the southern terminus is with New York Routes 5, 8, and 12 in downtown Utica. Its northern junction with I-90 is very strange; I-790 almost qualifies as an orphan, but the complex system of I-90 service roads to Thruway tollbooth 31 seems to be barely freeway standard.

Originally built as a two-lane road from I-90 Exit 31 to its intersection with Routes 5, 8 and 12, in the late 1980s it was rebuilt as a freeway that straddles I-90. However, to accomplish this, the direct connection from I-90 to I-790 was eliminated, necessitating the use of surface streets and passing through traffic lights for traffic to reach I-790. This approach has created some traffic congestion that continues to grow with the expansion of industry in the area, including a busy Wal*Mart distribution center in the Town of Marcy.

I-790 is signed as an east-west route in the few places where its signs exist. It runs concurrently with New York Route 5 along its entire length and follows Routes 8 and 12 as well for the first mile. Its western/southern terminus is with New York Routes 5A and 5S.

The north-south portion of I-790 between NY 5A/NY 5S and the Thruway service roads is named the North-South Arterial.

There are efforts within NYSDOT to move the Interstate 790 designation from its current routing to the Utica-Rome Expressway, which would make I-790 run from Thruway Interchange 31 to the Erie Canal Bridge on NY 49 in the City of Rome. NYSDOT originally wanted the interstate to terminate at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park interchange, however, AASHTO wants the interstate designation to continue to the canal bridge. To accomplish this would involve the removal of an at-grade railroad crossing just west of the Griffiss Park interchange.

[edit] Exit list

The entire route is in Utica, Oneida County.

Destinations	Notes
NY 5 west / NY 8 south / NY 12 south	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
NY 5A west / NY 5S east – Whitesboro, Downtown Utica
NY 8 north / NY 12 north – Poland, Watertown	East end of NY 8/NY 12 overlap
NY 49 west – Rome
NY 5 east	East end of NY 5 overlap
Genesee Street - Downtown Utica	I-790 westbound uses part of Genesee Street to get between the I-90 interchange and the NY 5 overlap
I-90 / Thruway – Albany, Buffalo

[edit] References

v • d • e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 90 South Dakota: 190 — Illinois: 190 • 290 — Ohio: 290 (former) • 490 — New York: 190 • 290 • 390 • 490 • 590 • 690 • 790 • 890 • 990 — Massachusetts: 190 • 290