New York State Route 211

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NY Route 211
Length:	23.01 mi[1] (37.03 km)
West end:	US 209 in Cuddebackville
Major junctions:	NY 17 in Middletown
East end:	NY 17K in Montgomery
Counties:	Orange
Numbered highways in New York < NY 210 NY 212 > Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference
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New York State Route 211 is a New York state highway in southern New York, entirely within Orange County. The western terminus is at the intersection with US 209 located in Cuddebackville, and the eastern terminus is located at Montgomery at NY 17K, where it becomes the main thoroughfare.

Through Middletown, it briefly becomes a divided highway with a maximum of five lanes in each direction (a total of ten lanes). It was also through Middletown that the famed "Miracle Mile" was born, which was the beginning of the shopping center frenzy that saw many businesses move from downtown areas of Middletown to the Route 211 Shopping Corridor.

Only in Middletown does the first sign along NY 211 with a directional banner appear, when headed eastward. At that point, the road is running more to the northwest.

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 West of Middletown 1.2 City of Middletown 1.3 East of Middletown 2 History 3 Major intersections 4 References

[edit] Route description

Route 211 has three distinct segments, reflected on the reference markers along the highway: west of Middletown, the city of Middletown, and east of Middletown. All run through distinctly different terrain.

[edit] West of Middletown

The first 10 miles (16 km) are characterized by rugged and scenic countryside. They begin at the junction with 209. NY 211 at first heads straight east-southeast, crossing the limited downtown section of Cuddebackville and then the Basher Kill and its swampy lowlands. On the way up it makes its first crossing of the tracks of the Metro North, Port Jervis Line, also used by Norfolk Southern for freight. These will reappear at different times later along the route.

Looming ahead is a low but still formidable section of the Shawangunk Ridge, and after leaving the river's flood plain the highway immediately curves and begins to climb the ridge, here mostly wooded and undeveloped. There are some scenic cliffs ahead, and the road crests at 897 feet (273 m) above sea level just before reaching the village of Otisville.

Through the small rural village the road continues to descend, crossing the Port Jervis line again just next to the train station. In the countryside once again, passing through more open but still rolling and picturesque farmlands, it curves back and forth through Howells, gradually seeing more and more homes by the roadside, until it narrows and straightens out at the Middletown city limit.

[edit] City of Middletown

Route 211 enters the city as Monhagen Avenue for a mile, until it turns east onto West Main Street and merges with NY 17M. West Main branches to the southeast, the street name of the combined routes becoming Wickham Avenue, where these two follow a straight course to North Sreet, where NY 17M leaves to the northwest and NY 211 continues ahead east. It crosses a single track railway, which is the last vestiges of the New York, Ontario, and Western Railroad. The former headquarters/Middletown station of the O&W, heavily damaged by fire in 2004, sit next to the tracks.

There are no green New York State Department of Transportation reference markers at all along the road in Middletown (where the city is responsible for maintenance), although the road itself is amply signed.

[edit] East of Middletown

Upon leaving the city, NY 211 expands to four lanes and becomes a major shopping strip, with many different retailers and restaurants on both sides. This continues to build through almost two miles of the Town of Wallkill, with maximum traffic and width coming as the road passes the Super Wal-Mart at the site of the old Orange Plaza shopping mall, crosses the Port Jervis line for the third and last time and then has its interchange with NY 17. On the opposite side are Wal-Mart's old site, now a Gander Mountain, and the entrance to the county's largest shopping mall, the Galleria at Crystal Run.

Beyond that, NY 211 remains divided for 0.6 mile (1 km), and then four lanes for another 0.5 mile (900 m) until it is back to two lanes going through Scotchtown, and development abates. The Port Jervis line briefly comes aside the highway as it nears the wooded tracts of Highland Lakes State Park, until leaving NY 211 behind for good. The Long Path hiking trail crosses the road at a trailer park entrance opposite Hidden Drive.

The countryside along the highway is once again rural, but here NY 211 is straight and flat as it enters the lowlands around the Wallkill River. Interstate 84 runs closely parallel to the road through this section and can be seen at several points.

After crossing the river, Orange County Airport appears on the west side of the road. Where it ends, just outside the village of Montgomery, NY 416 reaches its northern end at an oblique angle.

Montgomery has a reputation as a speed trap, and despite the open fields on both sides of the road at the village limit, most traffic begins to slow down as it reaches residential sections of the village and passes Montgomery Elementary School on the east side of the road. NY 211 becomes Union Street, one the village's two major streets, passing through the larger of the village's two historic districts. At the end of downtown, NY 211 ends at a traffic light with Main Street, NY 17K.

[edit] History

NY 211 originally only ran from Cuddebackville to the then junction of NY 17M at North St in Middletown. There it was succeeded by NY 84, which at the time ran from Unionville through Slate Hill to Middletown, and then to Montgomery. It was renumbered in May 1966 to NY 211 when I-84 was built nearby to avoid confusion.^[2]

The westernmost portion, according to a historical marker in Cuddebackville, follows the old Mount Hope and Lumberland Turnpike, built during the War of 1812.

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[1]	Roads intersected	Notes
Orange	Cuddebackville	0.00	US 209
	Middletown	10.95	NY 17M east	Western terminus of overlap
		11.73	NY 17M west	Eastern terminus of overlap
		14.01	NY 17	Exit 120 (NY 17)
	Village of Montgomery	21.66	NY 416	Northern terminus of NY 416
		23.01	NY 17K

[edit] References