Interstate 690
Encyclopedia
Interstate 690 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for 14.19 miles (22.84 km) through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a spur of I-90 (here part of the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...

) that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in Van Buren
Van Buren, New York
Van Buren is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 12,667. The town is named after future President Martin van Buren, who was then governor of the state....

 to I-481
Interstate 481
Interstate 481 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville, DeWitt, and Cicero before rejoining I-81 in...

 in DeWitt. In between, I-690 passes through the western suburbs of Syracuse before heading east through the city itself, where it meets I-81 in downtown Syracuse
Downtown Syracuse
Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 2,000. It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse.- History :...

. The expressway continues northwest of the Thruway as New York State Route 690 (NY 690).

Route description

I-690 begins at a double trumpet interchange with the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...

 (I-90
Interstate 90 in New York
Interstate 90 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, I-90 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line at Canaan...

) in the town of Van Buren
Van Buren, New York
Van Buren is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 12,667. The town is named after future President Martin van Buren, who was then governor of the state....

. The six-lane, fully shouldered limited-access highway continues north toward Baldwinsville
Baldwinsville, New York
Baldwinsville is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,053 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 as NY 690
New York State Route 690
New York State Route 690 is a state highway in Central New York. NY 690's southern terminus is at an interchange with the New York State Thruway and Interstate 690 in Van Buren. The northern terminus is at an intersection with NY 48 and NY 631 in Lysander...

 while I-690 travels east from the junction. Even though I-690 continues north of the Thruway as NY 690, the numbering system on I-690 does not continue with the route. The interchange with the Thruway is labeled as exit 1, leaving exits on NY 690 without numbers. Additionally, NY 690 is signed north–south while I-690 is signed east–west. Before physically crossing I-90, it features a partial interchange with John Glenn Boulevard, and turns southeast.

After crossing and connecting with State Fair Boulevard at exit 5, I-690 runs along the western shore of Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...

, passing under many pedestrian bridges. The highway serves the New York State Fairgrounds by way of exits 6 and 7, the former a large directional T interchange with NY 695
New York State Route 695
New York State Route 695 is a short state highway located west of Syracuse in the towns of Camillus and Geddes in Onondaga County, New York. The number of the highway was derived from the two highways that NY 695 links, Interstate 690 and NY 5...

. Within this interchange is a signalized, at-grade intersection
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...

 that connects I-690 to a parking area. For twelve days each year, the light is used to allow buses to carry New York State Fair attendees from the parking area across the road to the fair. I-690 is one of only a few Interstate Highways to feature a traffic light.

The freeway continues along the shore and bears toward the downtown area, where the shoulders frequently disappear and the buildings are often situated close to the freeway. It passes over a railroad grade and Hiawatha Boulevard before meeting NY 298
New York State Route 298
New York State Route 298 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a generally northeast direction for from an interchange with Interstate 690 in the city of Syracuse to an intersection with NY 31 near the...

 (Bear Street) at exit 9. In the interchange with NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...

 1 miles (1.6 km) to the east, two lanes of I-690 disappear, and I-81
Interstate 81 in New York
Interstate 81 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dandridge, Tennessee, to the Canada – United States border at Wellesley Island in New York. In the U.S. state of New York, I-81 extends from the Pennsylvania state line southeast of Binghamton to the Canadian border...

 follows directly after in the center of the city with an incomplete interchange. There is no direct freeway ramp from I-690 east to I-81 north and I-81 south to I-690 west. NY 298, which connects to I-81 at exit 22 west of the I-81/I-690 interchange, must be used to make these connections.

I-690 re-widens to six lanes as it proceeds eastward out of downtown Syracuse. 2 miles (3.2 km) from downtown, it connects to Burnet and Midler Avenues by way of exit 15. The latter is designated as NY 598
New York State Route 598
New York State Route 598 is a north–south state highway located within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 5 in the city of Syracuse to a junction with NY 298 in the adjacent town of Salina...

; however, it is not signed as such from I-690. After a curve to the southeast, NY 635
New York State Route 635
New York State Route 635 is a state highway located in the vicinity of Syracuse in Onondaga County, New York. The southern terminus of the route is at Erie Boulevard in Syracuse. The northern terminus is at Carrier Circle in DeWitt, where NY 635 connects to both the New York State...

 meets the route at a cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...

, utilizing collector/distributor roads to do so. The C/D roads continue to a parclo interchange
Parclo interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...

 with Bridge Street, where they end. Shortly after this interchange, I-690 terminates at I-481
Interstate 481
Interstate 481 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville, DeWitt, and Cicero before rejoining I-81 in...

.

History

The portion of the modern I-690 corridor west of downtown Syracuse
Downtown Syracuse
Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 2,000. It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse.- History :...

 was originally served by NY 48
New York State Route 48
New York State Route 48 is a north–south state highway in Central New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is located at Interstate 690 exit 3 near the interchange between I-690 and the New York State Thruway in Van Buren, northwest of Syracuse...

, a route assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. NY 48 followed the length of State Fair Boulevard from Van Buren
Van Buren, New York
Van Buren is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 12,667. The town is named after future President Martin van Buren, who was then governor of the state....

 to downtown Syracuse, where it followed several local streets to reach NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...

. In the early 1960s, work began on a new freeway extending from the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...

 to Syracuse by way of the western shoreline of Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...

. The new road, designated as I-690, was completed from the Thruway to NY 298
New York State Route 298
New York State Route 298 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a generally northeast direction for from an interchange with Interstate 690 in the city of Syracuse to an intersection with NY 31 near the...

 by 1962. I-690 supplanted State Fair Boulevard as the primary highway through the area, and from NY 297
New York State Route 297
New York State Route 297 is a state highway in the western suburbs of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is signed as north–south; however, it follows more of a southwest–northeast alignment for through the towns of Camillus and Geddes. The southern terminus of the route is at an...

 southeast, State Fair Boulevard was upgraded on the spot. As a result, NY 48 was truncated to its current southern terminus in Van Buren.

The section of I-690 near the New York State Fairgrounds was originally a surface highway. When I-690 was extended eastward through downtown to Midler Avenue (now NY 598
New York State Route 598
New York State Route 598 is a north–south state highway located within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 5 in the city of Syracuse to a junction with NY 298 in the adjacent town of Salina...

) in the mid-1960s, I-690 was moved onto its current, limited-access routing. State Fair Boulevard runs on the former I-690 eastbound right of way, while a service road occupies the westbound right of way. State Fair Boulevard continues east along this right of way onto a ramp to I-690. The section of I-690 between Midler Avenue and I-481
Interstate 481
Interstate 481 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville, DeWitt, and Cicero before rejoining I-81 in...

 was completed in the early 1970s. I-690 gained a mile when its western terminus was relocated in 1988. The interchange with the Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...

 was relocated and completely rebuilt, forcing a complete renumbering of all the exits on the highway.

I-690 follows an old New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...

 right-of-way through a portion of downtown Syracuse and actually cuts through the site of the former New York Central station. A remnant of the old railroad station platforms is visible to the north of the freeway, with cement statues of people waiting for trains, who are occasionally dressed up for winter by area residents with scarves and other winter apparel.

In summer 2009, the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...

 posted new milemarkers on both NY 690
New York State Route 690
New York State Route 690 is a state highway in Central New York. NY 690's southern terminus is at an interchange with the New York State Thruway and Interstate 690 in Van Buren. The northern terminus is at an intersection with NY 48 and NY 631 in Lysander...

 and I-690. The mileposts treat the entire length of both routes as a single entity, with mile 0 being at the northern terminus of NY 690 at NY 48 and mile 20 being near the eastern terminus of I-690 at I-481.

Future

There have been plans for decades to extend I-690 eastward from I-481
Interstate 481
Interstate 481 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville, DeWitt, and Cicero before rejoining I-81 in...

 to Manlius
Manlius (town), New York
Manlius is a town in Onondaga County, east of the city of Syracuse, New York, United States. The population was 32,370 at the 2010 census, making it the third largest suburb in metropolitan Syracuse...

 or to the far east suburb of Chittenango
Chittenango, New York
Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, in the United States. The village is in the south part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census.- History :...

; however, these plans have yet to become a reality. This extension would have been numbered as NY 290 due to the presence of NY 690 to the northeast and the unlikelihood of I-290
Interstate 290 (New York)
Interstate 290 runs for near Buffalo, New York from I-90 to I-190. It connects Buffalo with its northern suburbs of Amherst and Tonawanda, and provides a route to Niagara Falls that bypasses the city of Buffalo. I-290 also connects to Interstate 990, and through this connection,...

 in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

 being extended. Several unused ramps
Unused highway
An unused highway is a highway or highway ramp that was partially or fully constructed, but was unused or later closed. An unused ramp can be referred to as a stub ramp, stub street, stub-out, or simply stub.-Examples:...

 exist at the interchange between I-481 and I-690, intended to connect to an extended I-690.

Exit list

|-
|rowspan=4|Van Buren
Van Buren, New York
Van Buren is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 12,667. The town is named after future President Martin van Buren, who was then governor of the state....


|rowspan=2|0.00
|
|
|Continuation beyond I-90 / Thruway
|-
|1
|
|
|-
|
|2
|Jones Road
|
|-
|
|3
|
|Westbound exit and entrance; southern terminus of NY 48
|-
|rowspan=4|Geddes
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...


|
|4
|John Glenn Boulevard
|
|-
|2.05
|5
|State Fair Boulevard / Van Vleck Road – Lakeland
Lakeland, New York
Lakeland is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2000 census. The community name is derived from its location next to Onondaga Lake....


|
|-
|4.55
|6
|
|Northern terminus of NY 695
|-
|
|7
|
|Northern terminus of NY 297
|-
|rowspan=9|Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...


|7.14
|8
|Hiawatha Boulevard
|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
|-
|7.43
|9
|
|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; southern terminus of NY 298
|-
|7.75
|10
|North Geddes Street
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|
|11
|West Street
|
|-
|8.39
|12
|West Genesee Street (NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...

) - Downtown Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...


|Eastbound exit and entrance
|-
|9.00
|
|
|No connection from I-690 east to I-81 north and from I-81 south to I-690 west
|-
|9.29
|13
|Townsend Street – Downtown Syracuse
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance (via McBride Street)
|-
|10.32
|14
|Teall Avenue
|
|-
|11.28
|15
|Midler Avenue (NY 598
New York State Route 598
New York State Route 598 is a north–south state highway located within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 5 in the city of Syracuse to a junction with NY 298 in the adjacent town of Salina...

)
|
|-
|rowspan=2|East Syracuse
East Syracuse, New York
East Syracuse is an incorporated village and a suburb of the City of Syracuse in eastern Onondaga County, New York. United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 3,178....


|12.34
|16N-S
|
|Exits 16 and 17 use a collector-distributor ramp system
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...


|-
|13.19
|17
|Bridge Street – East Syracuse
East Syracuse, New York
East Syracuse is an incorporated village and a suburb of the City of Syracuse in eastern Onondaga County, New York. United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 3,178....


|
|-
|DeWitt
|14.19
|
|
|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

See also

  • New York State Route 690 for exits along NY 690

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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