Interstate 88 (east)

Interstate 88
Senator Warren M. Anderson Expressway
Susquehanna Expressway

Map of eastern New York with I-88 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length: 117.75 mi[2] (189.50 km)
Existed: December 13, 1968[1] – present
History: Completed in 1989[1]
Major junctions
West end: I-81 in Chenango
  NY 23 / NY 28 in Oneonta
US 20 near Duanesburg
East end: I-90 / Thruway in Rotterdam
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • Business

Numbered highways in New York
Interstate • U.S. • N.Y. (former) • Reference • County

← I-87 NY 88 →

Interstate 88 (I-88) is an intrastate Interstate Highway entirely within the U.S. state of New York. Its western end is at Interstate 81 in Binghamton and its eastern end is at Interstate 90 in Schenectady. It serves as an important connector route from Albany to Binghamton, Elmira (via NY 17/future I-86), and Scranton, Pennsylvania (via I-81). It runs near NY 7, which was once the main route through the area, for its entire length.

Contents

Route description

Binghamton to Oneonta

I-88 begins at an interchange with Interstate 81 just north of downtown Binghamton on the banks of the Chenango River. While both directions of I-81 are accessible from I-88 westbound, only one direction of I-81 (northbound) connects to I-88. The missing connection, I-81 south to I-88 east, is made via U.S. Route 11, NY 12 and NY 12A at I-81 exit 6. NY 12A then connects to I-88 at exit 2.

From I-81, I-88 heads east across the Chenango to Port Dickinson, where it merges with NY 7 (here also a limited-access highway) at exit 1. The two routes continue north, then east along the eastern bank of the Chenango River, where it meets NY 12A near Chenango Bridge. I-88 and NY 7 remain alongside the river to Port Crane, where the river begins to follow NY 369 (exit 3) northward. Outside of Port Crane, the expressway heads east to Sanitaria Springs. Here, NY 7 leaves the expressway at exit 4 and begins to parallel I-88, as it does for the remainder of I-88's routing.

I-88 continues east to Harpursville, interchanging with NY 79 (exit 6) near the center of the community. Shortly after meeting NY 79, I-88 reenters a river valley, this time that of the Susquehanna River. I-88 heads to the northeast, following the river and NY 7 to Bainbridge, New York where it meets NY 206 and then on to Sidney, where it meets NY 8, the primary north–south road through the village, at exit 9. From Sidney, I-88 progresses northeast through southern Otsego County, passing Unadilla before entering Oneonta. Within the city, I-88 interchanges with NY 205 ahead of an exit with NY 28. NY 28 joins the expressway, following I-88 out of the city.

Oneonta to Schenectady

Northeast of Oneonta, NY 28 leaves I-88 at exit 17 to follow the Susquehanna River northward toward Cooperstown. I-88, however, remains on a northeasterly track through rural eastern Otsego County. Upon crossing into Schoharie County, I-88 begins to follow an easterly routing as it heads toward Cobleskill. While NY 7 enters the village, I-88 passes south of it, connecting to the village via two exits with NY 7. East of Cobleskill, I-88 interchanges with NY 145. Howe Caverns, a regionally popular attraction, is located a short distance north of the exit. I-88 continues onward, skirting the northern edge of Schoharie before passing into Schenectady County.

Shortly after entering Schenectady County, I-88 meets U.S. Route 20 east of Duanesburg. Past US 20, I-88 continues northeast, interchanging with NY 7 for one final time before ending at the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) in western Schenectady.

History

The 1956 National System of Interstate and Defense Highways Act did not include Interstate 88. New York State officials pressed for addition of the route, and funding was included in the Federal Highway Act of 1968. Right-of-way acquisition started immedeiately afterward.[3]

I-88 was added to the Interstate Highway System on December 13, 1968,[1] although all 118 miles (190 km) of the route had yet to be constructed.[4] As originally planned by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), I-88 would begin at Interstate 81 in Binghamton and follow the proposed Susquehanna Expressway to Schenectady, from where it would continue to U.S. Route 4 in Troy over "Alternate Route 7", the limited-access alignment of NY 7 through the northern suburbs of Albany.[5] This would have been accomplished by having I-88 meet the New York State Thruway at exit 25, where it would connect to I-890. I-88 would then continue to Troy over I-890 and an upgraded NY 7.[6] The proposed connection with I-890 was scrapped in the early 1980s in favor of a connection located to the west of exit 25 in Rotterdam.[7][8]

The first section of I-88 to open was the piece between Chenango Bridge (exit 2) and Sanitaria Springs (4), which opened in the early 1970s.[6][9] A second piece near Oneonta between exits 13 and 15 was opened to traffic ca. 1974.[10][11] Construction progressed southwestward from Oneonta, with the freeway reaching Nineveh (exit 6) by 1977.[12] The gap between Sanitaria Springs and Nineveh was filled by 1981. The focus then moved to the section of the expressway between Oneonta and Schenectady, which was completed from Oneonta to Duanesburg (exit 24) by 1981.[7] The Duanesburg–Schenectady leg of I-88 was opened to traffic by 1985.[8] In 1989, construction concluded on I-88[1] with the opening of the final portion of I-88 between I-81 in Chenango and NY 7 in Chenango Bridge.[8][13]

Interchanges along I-88 were not numbered until the early 1980s, though signs left space for the exit numbers to be easily added with unnumbered exit "tabs". The reason for this is that the NYSDOT MUTCD specified that interchanges on new roadways were to be numbered by distance instead of sequentially, however, this was rescinded with the 1983 edition. Interchanges were ultimately numbered sequentially.

In 1999 NYSDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Thruway Authority discussed redesignating the Berkshire Connector as I-90 and redesignating the non-toll part of I-90 from Thruway exit 24 to exit B1 on the Berkshire Connector as I-88. The section of the Thruway between exits 25 and 24 would then be co-designated as I-90 and I-88. This was never implemented.[14]

2006 flood

Main article: Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006

As a result of the June 2006 flooding in upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, Carr's Creek washed out a 50-foot (15 m) section of I-88 southwest of Unadilla on June 28.[15] Around 6:20 a.m., two trucks from different directions drove into the chasm, apparently unaware of it, killing both drivers. David Swingle, 42, of Waverly, who was driving eastbound, was identified shortly after the accident.[16] The westbound trucker was Patrick O'Connell, 55, of Lisbon, Maine.[17] His body was found downstream several days after the water receded.[18]

NYSDOT started construction to replace the section of highway almost immediately, and it was re-opened August 31.[19] Families of both victims planned to sue the state of New York for the incidents.[20]

Exit list

County Location Mile[2] Exit Destinations Notes
Broome Chenango 0.00 I-81 – Syracuse, Binghamton Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Fenton 0.59 1 NY 7 west West end of NY 7 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
2.35 2 NY 12A west – Chenango Bridge
4.61 3 NY 369 – Port Crane
Colesville 7.81 4 NY 7 east – Sanitaria Springs East end of NY 7 overlap
12.02 5 Martin Hill Road – Belden
16.00 6 NY 79 – Harpursville, Nineveh
Chenango Afton 23.77 7 NY 41 – Afton
29.43 8 NY 206 – Bainbridge, Masonville
Delaware Sidney 33.07 9 NY 8 – Sidney
37.20 10 Unadilla
40.51 11 NY 357 – Franklin, Unadilla
Otsego Otego 46.82 12 NY 7 – Otego
Oneonta 53.51 13 NY 7 / NY 205 – Oneonta
55.76 14 Main Street Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
56.43 15 NY 23 / NY 28 south – Oneonta, Delhi West end of NY 28 overlap
58.68 16 Emmons
Milford 61.03 17 NY 28 north to NY 7 – Colliersville, Cooperstown East end of NY 28 overlap
Maryland 70.95 18 Schenevus
Worcester 76.70 19 To NY 7 – Colliersville, Cooperstown
Schoharie Richmondville 87.86 20 NY 7 / NY 10 – Richmondville
89.99 21 NY 7 / NY 10 – Warnerville
Cobleskill 95.16 22 NY 7 / NY 145 – Cobleskill, Middleburgh
Schoharie 101.04 23 NY 7 / NY 30 / NY 30A – Schoharie, Central Bridge Access to NY 7 and NY 30 is via NY 30A
Schenectady Duanesburg 112.14 24 US 20 / NY 7 – Duanesburg
Rotterdam 116.87 25 NY 7 – Rotterdam, Schenectady
117.75 I-90 / Thruway – Albany, Buffalo Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Previous Interstate Facts of the Day". Federal Highway Administration. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/previousfacts.cfm. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b "2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. June 16, 2009. pp. 144–145. https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/NYSDOT%20TVR%202008%20by%20Route.pdf. Retrieved January 30, 2010. 
  3. ^ . New York State Department of Transportation. June 1996. 
  4. ^ Esso (1968). New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting (1969–70 ed.). 
  5. ^ State of New York Department of Transportation (January 1, 1970) (PDF). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State. http://www.greaternyroads.info/pdfs/state70.pdf. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
  6. ^ a b Gulf (1972). New York and New Jersey Tourgide Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company (1972 ed.). 
  7. ^ a b State of New York (1981). I Love New York Tourism Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. 
  8. ^ a b c Rand McNally and Company (1985). New York (Map). ISBN 0-528-91040-X. 
  9. ^ Sun Oil Company (1969). New York and Metropolitan New York City (Map). Cartography by Diversified Map Corporation (1969–70 ed.). 
  10. ^ Shell Oil Company (1973). New York (Map). Cartography by H.M. Gousha Company (1973 ed.). 
  11. ^ Gulf (1974). New York and New Jersey Tourgide Map (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. 
  12. ^ Exxon (1977). New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting (1977–78 ed.). 
  13. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (1989) (PDF). Pennsylvania Official Transportation Map (Map). ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1989fr.pdf. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
  14. ^ Bergman Assocatiates (February 13, 2008). "Hudson River Crossing Study" (PDF). Capital District Transportation Committee and New York State Department of Transportation. p. 22. http://www.cdtcmpo.org/linkage/hudson/final.pdf. Retrieved December 25, 2009. 
  15. ^ Wright, Jim (June 29, 2006). "Driver killed in I-88 bridge collapse identified". Press & Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York). http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/NEWS01/101220028/-1/flood. Retrieved October 30, 2007. 
  16. ^ Kates, William (June 29, 2006). "Waters slowly recede, residents begin cleaning up". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2006-06-28-upstate-flooding_x.htm. Retrieved October 30, 2007. 
  17. ^ "Victim in truck accident identified". News 10 Now (Syracuse, New York). July 3, 2006. http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=71727. Retrieved October 31, 2007. 
  18. ^ "Body of trucker killed in storms found". Newsday (New York City). July 8, 2006. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny-brf--missing-truck0708jul08,0,2143290.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork. 
  19. ^ "Governor Pataki Tours and Announces the Reopening of I-88" (Press release). New York State Department of Transportation. August 31, 2006. https://www.nysdot.gov/news/press-releases/2006/31. Retrieved October 30, 2007. 
  20. ^ "Suits pending in I-88 flood deaths". The Daily Star (Oneonta, New York). October 19, 2006. 

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