History
What is now I-290 was originally intended to be designated I-190. The route was renumbered I-290 in 1958 to better reflect the future highway's routing as a connector between two Interstate Highways (or a bypass of Buffalo) rather than a spur. Construction on the expressway began c. 1962 when work commenced on the section between NY 263 and the New York State Thruway. This section was finished by the following year, by which time work had begun on the remainder of the freeway. The section between NY 263 and US 62 was opened to traffic c. 1964 while the rest was finished in the mid-1960s. The interchange with what is now I-990 was built in 1983.
The expressway was originally named the Power Line Expressway for the high tension power lines that parallel the expressway. It was renamed in the early 1960s to serve as a memorial to Elmer G. H. Youngmann, a project engineer who died while the road was being built. The official name of the freeway became the Youngmann Memorial Highway; however, the name Youngmann Expressway has also been frequently used over the years.
Read more about this topic: Interstate 290 (New York)
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