Inner Loop (Rochester)

Inner Loop (Rochester)

The Inner Loop is a freeway that encloses downtown Rochester, New York, in the United States. Although the highway is a continuous loop, only the portion of the loop north of Interstate 490 (I-490) is signed as the "Inner Loop". The official western terminus of the Inner Loop is at I-490 exit 13 in the shadow of Frontier Field west of downtown, while the eastern terminus is at I-490 exits 15 and 16 directly south of downtown on the east bank of the Genesee River. This section of the loop is designated New York State Route 940T (NY 940T), an unsigned reference route, by the New York State Department of Transportation. Although the NY 940T designation is not signed, the road is signed with orange trapezoidal route markers containing the words "Inner Loop" in white.

Construction of the Inner Loop began in the early 1950s—when the city's population was well over 300,000 and 33% higher than it was in 2000—and completed in 1965. Over the past decade, traffic volume has remained constant on the roadway in some areas; however, overall usage from its completion to today has declined as jobs and residents continue to migrate away from the inner city. Due to its shape and location, the Inner Loop is seen as a divider, both physically and mentally, between downtown and the rest of the city, one that defines a definite center for Rochester.