New York State Route 61

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This article is about the current alignment of NY 61. For the alignment of NY 61 that existed from the 1920s to 1934, see U.S. Route 202 in New York.
NY Route 61
Hyde Park Boulevard
Length: 3.86 mi[1] (6.21 km)
Formed: 1962[2][3]
South end: NY 384 in Niagara Falls
Major
junctions:		 US 62 in Niagara Falls
North end: NY 104 in Lewiston
Counties: Niagara
Numbered highways in New York
< NY 60 US 62 >
Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference
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New York State Route 61 is a state highway located almost entirely in the city of Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York. The road runs across Niagara Falls in a northwest-southeast direction, terminating at NY 384 at its southern extent and NY 104 at its northern tip. The NY 61 designation was assigned in 1962.

Conceptually, the road, known as Hyde Park Boulevard, forms the eastern border of downtown Niagara Falls. It is the second-shortest two-digit route in New York after NY 71 in Columbia County.

Contents

[edit] Route description

NY 61 begins at an intersection with NY 384 (Buffalo Avenue) on the industrial banks of the Niagara River in eastern Niagara Falls. The route, named Hyde Park Boulevard for its entire length, heads north initially as an undivided four-lane highway; however, after two blocks, the roadway widens to include a center turn lane. NY 61 continues onward through the densely populated neighborhoods of Niagara Falls to Packard Road, where the route begins to parallel Gill Creek, a small stream leading south to the Niagara River. After five blocks, NY 61 meets Ferry Avenue, a one-way street carrying southbound U.S. Route 62, in the shadow of the Niagara Falls Courthouse. NY 61 meets northbound US 62 three blocks later at Walnut Avenue. At the intersection, Gill Creek passes under both US 62 northbound and NY 61 as it switches to the east side of Hyde Park Boulevard.[4]

The northern terminus of NY 61 at NY 104 in Lewiston
The northern terminus of NY 61 at NY 104 in Lewiston

The pairing of Gill Creek and NY 61 lasts for one more block before separating ahead of Pine Avenue,[4] once known as NY 62A[5] but now designated as U.S. Route 62 Business.[6] The intersection between Pine and Hyde Park Boulevard marks the southwestern limits of Hyde Park, one of the largest parks in the vicinity of the city. For the next dozen blocks, NY 61 acts as the divider between the residential neighborhoods of downtown Niagara Falls and the open spaces of Hyde Park, passing Sal Maglie Stadium as it heads north. At Linwood Avenue, the homes return to both sides of NY 61 as it approaches Porter Road, here carrying NY 182. While Porter Road ends here, NY 182 turns north, joining NY 61 for two blocks to Ontario Avenue, where it turns west toward the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.[4]

North of Ontario Avenue, the buildings surrounding NY 61 become more commercial and industrial in nature as it approaches the CSX Transportation Niagara Yard. The route crosses over the western end of the yard before intersecting Lockport Road. The Niagara Falls Amtrak station, which Hyde Park Boulevard passes by but provides no access to it, is located just off Lockport Road on 27th Street.[4]

Away from the yard, the surroundings become residential once more for another four blocks before entering a heavily industrial neighborhood around an intersection with NY 31. Farther north in Lewiston, the center turn lane becomes a hard median as it widens in preparation for a pseudo-interchange with Highland Avenue. The median reverts back to its previous width shortly after Highland merges into Hyde Park Boulevard; however, the median ends two blocks later at a service road for the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. NY 61, now a four-lane undivided highway once again, continues for another 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to the top of the Niagara River gorge, where it ends at NY 104 south of the Moses Power Plant and adjacent to the campus of Niagara University.[4]

[edit] History

NY 61 was assigned in 1962 to its current alignment.[2][3] In that same year, the bridge carrying Hyde Park Boulevard over Gill Creek at Walnut Avenue, 12.4 metres (41 ft) in length and originally constructed in 1950, was reconstructed.[7] Farther north, the bridge over the western end of the CSX Transportation Niagara Yard (108.2 metres (355 ft) long) was completed in 1964. It was reconstructed in 1997.[8]

[edit] Major intersections

County Location Mile[1] Roads intersected Notes
Niagara Niagara Falls 0.00 NY 384
0.67 US 62 south (Ferry Avenue)
0.81 US 62 north (Walnut Avenue)
0.93
US 62 Business (Pine Avenue)
1.80 NY 182 east (Porter Road) Southern terminus of overlap
1.91 NY 182 west (Ontario Avenue) Northern terminus of overlap
2.87 NY 31
Town of Lewiston 3.86 NY 104

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b 2006 Traffic Data Report for New York State (PDF) p. 191. New York State Department of Transportation (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  2. ^ a b Sunoco. New York and Metropolitan New York [map], 1961-62 edition. Cartography by H.M. Gousha Company. (1961)
  3. ^ a b Esso. New York with Sight-Seeing Guide [map]. Cartography by General Drafting. (1962)
  4. ^ a b c d e Google, Inc.. Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  5. ^ New York State Department of Transportation. Niagara Falls Quadrangle - New York [map]. (1996) Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  6. ^ American Map. Road Atlas - United States, Canada, Mexico [map]. (2008) ISBN 0-8416-2837-8. Page 76.
  7. ^ National Bridge Inventory - Structure 1060180. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  8. ^ National Bridge Inventory - Structure 1060190. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.