New York State Route 308

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NY Route 308
Length: 6.19 mi[1] (9.96 km)
Formed: 1930[2]
West end: US 9 in Rhinebeck
East end: NY 199 in Milan
Counties: Dutchess
Numbered highways in New York
< NY 306 NY 309 >
Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference

New York State Route 308 (NY 308) is a 6.19 miles (9.96 km) long state highway located entirely in northern Dutchess County, New York. It serves mainly as a shortcut for traffic from the two main north-south routes in the area, US 9 and its alternative route NY 9G, to get to NY 199 and the Taconic State Parkway. A portion of NY 308 is located along the Rhinebeck Village Historic District, a 1,670 acre (6.7 km²) historic district containing 272 historical structures.

The route was designated as part of the 1930 renumbering and originally extended from Milan, westward to Rhinecliff. The route was truncated to US 9 in the 1960s. The highway was also to be part of the then-new Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge until plans were changed to involve other routes, and the building site for the bridge was moved about 3 mi (4.8 km) northward. The bridge opened to the public on February 2, 1957.

Contents

[edit] Route description

NY 308's starting terminus at US 9 in downtown Rhinebeck
NY 308's starting terminus at US 9 in downtown Rhinebeck

A portion of NY 308 is located along the Rhinebeck Village Historic District, a 1,670 acre (6.7 km²) historic district that contains 272 buildings in a variety of architectural styles dating from over 200 years of the settlement's history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as a well-preserved and cohesively built area of historic buildings.[3] A notable attraction is the Beekman Arms inn, which is located at the corner of NY 308 and US 9. Founded in 1776, it claims to be the oldest continuously-operated inn in the U.S.[4]

Route 308 begins at US 9 in the Dutchess County village of Rhinebeck, at about 200 ft (61 m) in elevation.[5] To the south is the American Legion Park and a small lake. It proceeds eastward, soon exiting Rhinebeck as it runs parallel to the Landsman Kill River. An intersection with County Route 101 soon follows, as 308 turns slightly to the north. It intersects with NY 9G by way of an interchange before crossing the stream and gradually turning to the east. Several small lakes surround the route as it intersects County Route 52 and subsequently turns to the northeast. NY 308 then travels west of Sepasco Lake before turning on an eastward route once again. The highway runs initially in a fairly flat area, although passes between two large hills of at least 400 ft (120 m).[5] It passes just to the south of the Red Hook Golf Club before coming to an end at NY 199 in Rock City, a hamlet within the town of Milan that is situated just east of where the Milan, Red Hook, and Rhinebeck town lines converge.[6]

[edit] History

In 1802, the Ulster and Delaware Turnpike was chartered "for improving and making a road from the west line of the Town of Salisbury in the State of Connecticut to the Susquehanna River at or near the Town of Jericho (now Bainbridge)".[7] The portion of the Ulster and Delware Turnpike east of the Hudson River was also commonly known as the Salisbury Turnpike. The turnpike crossed the river using Kingston-Rhinecliff Ferry and used modern Rhinecliff Road and West Market Street to the village center of Rhinecliff, then followed modern NY 308 to the hamlet of Eighmyville.[8] The turnpike continued east from there using part of County Route 52 to eventually connect with NY 199. The turnpike corporation operated through the late 19th century.

NY 308 was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering. At the time, it extended from the Rhinecliff ferry landing to Rock City in the town of Milan.[2][9] West of US 9, NY 308 continued to follow the old turnpike alignment to Hutton Street, where it connected to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Ferry.[9][10] In 1947, the ferry was the only crossing of the Hudson River available between Catskill (the Rip Van Winkle Bridge) and Poughkeepsie (the Mid-Hudson Bridge)—a distance of 36 miles (58 km)—and the only one serving the Kingston area.[11]

Initial plans for the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, a proposed structure that would replace the ferry between the two locations, called for the bridge to span the Hudson River between downtown Kingston (at Kingston Point) and the village of Rhinebeck along a corridor similar to that of NY 308. Due to political and economic factors, the bridge site was ultimately moved 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream (northward).[12] The bridge, then partially complete, opened to traffic on February 2, 1957, at which time the ferry service between Kingston and Rhinecliff was terminated.[13] However, NY 308 continued to extend west to Rhinecliff up to the 1960s, when it was truncated to U.S. Route 9 in the village of Rhinebeck.[14][15]

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Mile[1] Roads intersected Notes
Dutchess Village of Rhinebeck 0.0 US 9
Town of Rhinebeck 1.82 NY 9G
Milan 6.19 NY 199 Hamlet of Rock City

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b 2006 Traffic Data Report for New York State (PDF) p. 279. New York State Department of Transportation (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  2. ^ a b Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering
  3. ^ Hatch, Marilyn. Rhinebeck Village Walking Tour. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
  4. ^ Historical Hotels of America. Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  5. ^ a b USGS (1993). The National Map. TerraServer. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
  6. ^ Google, Inc.. Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  7. ^ (1804) Laws of the State of New York, Vol. III. Charles R. and George Webster, 113. 
  8. ^ Sive, Mary (1998). Lost Village: Historic Driving Tours in the Catskills. Delaware County Historical Association. 
  9. ^ a b Sun Oil Company. Road Map & Historical Guide - New York [map]. Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. (1935)
  10. ^ United States Geological Survey. New York - Rhinebeck Quadrangle (southwestern portion) [map], 1 : 62,500, 15 Minute Series (Topographic). (1939) Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  11. ^ State of New York Department of Public Works. Official Highway Map of New York State [map], 1947-48 edition. Cartography by General Drafting.
  12. ^ Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge History (page 1). New York State Bridge Authority. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  13. ^ Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge History (page 3). New York State Bridge Authority. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  14. ^ Sinclair. New York and Metropolitan New York [map]. Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. (1964)
  15. ^ State of New York Department of Transportation (1970-01-01). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.

[edit] External links