Interstate 790 - History

History

The portion of the North–South Arterial between Oriskany Street (NY 5A and NY 5S) and River Road was completed in the late 1950s. By 1961, a two-lane, limited-access highway was constructed along the south side of the New York State Thruway between the Arterial and Thruway exit 31. The road left the Arterial just north of the Erie Canal and had one intermediate interchange with Genesee Street before connecting directly to I-90 at exit 31. The two-lane connector and the section of the North–South Arterial between Oriskany Street and the connector was designated as I-790 by 1965. In the late 1980s, the connector was rebuilt as a four-lane freeway that straddles I-90. The direct connection from I-90 to I-790 was eliminated at this time, necessitating the use of surface streets and passing through traffic lights for traffic to reach I-790. This approach has created some traffic congestion that continues to grow with the expansion of industry in the area.

There are efforts within NYSDOT to move the I-790 designation from its current routing to the Utica–Rome Expressway (NY 49), which would make I-790 run from Thruway exit 31 west to NY 49's bridge over the Erie Canal in the city of Rome. NYSDOT originally wanted the highway to terminate at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park interchange (NY 825); however, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials wants the Interstate Highway designation to continue to the canal bridge. To accomplish this would involve the removal of an at-grade railroad crossing just west of the Griffiss Park interchange.

U.S. Representative Michael Arcuri introduced legislation in July 2010 that would redesignate the 11-mile (18 km) portion of NY 49 from the North–South Arterial in Utica to NY 825 in Rome as part of I-790. The conversion is expected to cost between $1.5 and $2 million, which would be used to install new signage along the expressway. By adding the Utica–Rome Expressway to the Interstate Highway System, the area would receive approximately $10 million in additional federal highway funding over the next five years. According to Arcuri, the proposed redesignation is part of a larger, long-term goal of creating an Interstate Highway-standard freeway that would begin at Thruway exit 33 in Verona and pass through Rome before ending at Thruway exit 31. The portion of NY 49 east of NY 825 already meets Interstate Highway standards.