New York State Route 17K - History

History

Modern NY 17K follows the easternmost part of the Newburgh and Cochecton Turnpike, a 19th century toll road that extended from the Delaware River at Cochecton to the Hudson River at Newburgh. The turnpike was opened in 1810 and dissolved in 1872 following the establishment of the nearby Middletown and Crawford Railroad one year earlier. Stone markers indicating the distance from Newburgh can still be seen by the roadside at several locations. In the early 20th century, the state of New York took over the turnpike's former routing from Fosterdale east to Newburgh to rebuild the highway as a toll-free state road. The segment from Bloomingburg to Newburgh was added to the state highway system in stages, beginning on September 9, 1902, with the section between Montgomery and what is now the New York State Thruway overpass near Newburgh. The Bloomingburg–Newburgh state highway was entirely state-maintained by 1926.

When the first set of posted routes in New York were assigned in 1924, the portion of the highway between Montgomery and Newburgh became part of NY 8, a route that went from the New Jersey state line at Unionville to Newburgh via Middletown. The designation proved to be short-lived, however, as it was eliminated as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. From the New Jersey line to Montgomery, NY 8 became NY 84. The remainder of old NY 8 became part of NY 215, a new route that continued west to Bloomingburg over the previously unnumbered state highway linking the two locations. Like the first NY 8, NY 215 was short-lived as it was redesignated as NY 17K c. 1939. At one time, NY 17K extended eastward into downtown Newburgh to serve the now-defunct ferry linking Newburgh to Beacon.