New York State Route 531
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 531 (NY 531) is a limited-access, east–west state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 located in Monroe County, New York
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....

, in the United States. The route extends for 8.02 miles (12.91 km) from the far northwestern suburbs of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

 to the town of Gates
Gates, New York
Gates is a town in Monroe County, New York. The town is named after General Horatio Gates. The population was 28,400 at the 2010 census. Gates-North Gates census-designated place is located within the town's boundaries....

 located just west of the city. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...

 and NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...

 west of the village of Spencerport
Spencerport, New York
Spencerport is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States, and a suburb of Rochester, New York. The population count was 3,559 at the 2000 census.The Village of Spencerport is within the Town of Ogden and is a village on the Erie Canal....

 in the town of Ogden
Ogden, New York
Ogden is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 19,856 at the 2010 census.The Erie Canal passes through the Town of Ogden.-Geography:...

, while the eastern terminus of NY 531 is at Interstate 490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...

 (I-490) exit 8 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Rochester city limits. NY 531 is the primary route between Rochester and the village of Brockport
Brockport, New York
Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,103 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Hiel Brockway, an early settler....

, located 5 miles (8 km) northwest of NY 531's west end.

The expressway was constructed in three sections, the first of which opened in the 1960s as New York State Route 940P, an unsigned reference route, and extended from I-490 to Elmgrove Road. An extension of NY 940P to Manitou Road was completed in 1984, at which time the expressway was redesignated as NY 531. The final section between NY 36 and Manitou Road opened to traffic in 1995. NY 531 is officially designated the Senator Ralph Quattrociocchi Memorial Highway in honor of Ralph E. Quattrociocchi
Ralph E. Quattrociocchi
Raffaele "Ralph" E. Quattrociocchi was a 20th century politician most notable for having served as New York State Senator. He was a Democrat for most of his political career....

, a New York State Senator who played a large role in making the second extension of NY 531 possible. The road is also known as the Spencerport Expressway, named for the village near the highway's western terminus.

In the mid-2000s, a number of grants were given by various agencies to 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...

 (NYSDOT) to finance research and planning for a potential extension of NY 531 westward to Redman Road in Brockport
Brockport, New York
Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,103 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Hiel Brockway, an early settler....

. A 2007 meeting between residents of Brockport and officials from NYSDOT revealed three options that were under consideration: an extension of NY 531 to Redman Road, the widening of NY 31 through the towns of Ogden and Sweden
Sweden, New York
Sweden is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The Erie Canal passes through the northern part of the town and Route 19 is a major north-south highway. The population was 14,175 at the 2010 census.- History :This town was part of...

, and keeping the status quo. Ultimately, the first two options were ruled out in 2009, at which time NYSDOT announced only small-scale projects to alleviate areas of traffic congestion will be considered.

Route description

Eastbound NY 531 begins at NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...

 a half-mile (0.8 km) west of the northern terminus of NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...

. NY 531 heads southeast from Brockport–Spencerport Road (NY 31), following a one-lane ramp east to NY 36. Shortly before intersecting with Washington Street (NY 36) at an 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...

, the ramp widens to two lanes. At NY 36, NY 531 westbound terminates, forcing commuters to exit onto NY 36. Past the junction with NY 36, NY 531 becomes a four-lane limited-access highway, passing through open fields as it heads east through rural Ogden
Ogden, New York
Ogden is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 19,856 at the 2010 census.The Erie Canal passes through the Town of Ogden.-Geography:...

.

Directly south of Spencerport
Spencerport, New York
Spencerport is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States, and a suburb of Rochester, New York. The population count was 3,559 at the 2000 census.The Village of Spencerport is within the Town of Ogden and is a village on the Erie Canal....

, NY 531 encounters South Union Street (NY 259
New York State Route 259
New York State Route 259 is a north–south state highway located west of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 33A in the hamlet of West Chili within the town of Chili. Its northern terminus is at the Lake Ontario State Parkway in...

) by way of a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...

 bordered on both sides by small housing tracts. The roadway continues eastward, reentering open and mostly undeveloped areas of the town. It heads past farmland for 2 miles (3.2 km) before turning southward a short distance east of an overpass carrying Gillett Road. NY 531 proceeds due south for 0.75 miles (1.21 km), passing over Lyell Road at the midpoint of the segment, before returning to an east–west alignment just ahead of the Manitou Road exit, where NY 531 crosses into the town of Gates
Gates, New York
Gates is a town in Monroe County, New York. The town is named after General Horatio Gates. The population was 28,400 at the 2010 census. Gates-North Gates census-designated place is located within the town's boundaries....

.

Between Manitou Road and Elmgrove Road (NY 386
New York State Route 386
New York State Route 386 is a north–south state highway located in the western suburbs of the city of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 383 in the village of Scottsville. The northern end of the highway is...

), NY 531 is flanked on both sides by frontage road
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...

s 1.08 miles (1.74 km) in length. NY 531 eastbound connects to Manitou Road, NY 386
New York State Route 386
New York State Route 386 is a north–south state highway located in the western suburbs of the city of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 383 in the village of Scottsville. The northern end of the highway is...

, and the Rochester Tech Park solely by way of the south frontage road, designated NY 946E, while the north frontage road, designated NY 946F, acts as a collection road for the separate ramps to NY 386 and Manitou Road from NY 531 westbound. Both frontage road designations are unsigned reference routes; in fact, reference marker
Reference marker (New York)
In New York, a reference marker is a small green sign mounted approximately every one-tenth mile on highways maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation. This was initiated in response to the Highway Safety Act of 1966 enacted by Congress, in an effort to monitor traffic and...

s along the two roads display "531" for the route number instead of their respective designations. The westbound exit to the Rochester Tech Park, a standalone two-lane ramp that splits from NY 531 a short distance west of the NY 386 overpass, has no connection to the north frontage road.

West of NY 386, the expressway expands to three lanes eastbound as it leaves the heavily commercialized and industrialized area around Elmgrove and Manitou Roads and enters a narrow, wooded area bordered by homes to the north. Not far to the east, NY 531 comes to an end at a slightly modified directional T interchange with I-490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...

. Heading eastbound, the two leftmost lanes connect NY 531 to I-490 eastbound while the right lane links to I-490 westbound 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) north of I-490's modified 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...

 with NY 33
New York State Route 33
New York State Route 33 is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. The route extends for just under from NY 5 in Buffalo in the west to NY 31 in Rochester in the east. It is, in fact, the only state highway that directly connects both cities, although...

.

History

The Spencerport Expressway was conceived as part of a plan to link Rochester and 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...

 with a limited-access, toll-free highway. Although this plan was ultimately scrapped, the first segment of the expressway from I-490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...

 west to Elmgrove Road in Gates
Gates, New York
Gates is a town in Monroe County, New York. The town is named after General Horatio Gates. The population was 28,400 at the 2010 census. Gates-North Gates census-designated place is located within the town's boundaries....

 was built in the early 1960s and completed by 1964. When it opened, it was designated as NY 940P, an unsigned reference route designation. In 1984, the expressway was extended westward to Manitou Road and was redesignated as the signed NY 531.

In April 1987, plans to extend the expressway further westward to NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...

 in Ogden
Ogden, New York
Ogden is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 19,856 at the 2010 census.The Erie Canal passes through the Town of Ogden.-Geography:...

 were set in motion. At that time, New York State Senator Ralph E. Quattrociocchi
Ralph E. Quattrociocchi
Raffaele "Ralph" E. Quattrociocchi was a 20th century politician most notable for having served as New York State Senator. He was a Democrat for most of his political career....

 and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley introduced legislation requesting $15 million (equivalent to $ in ) for the extension of NY 531 west to Washington Street (NY 36). The money would be appropriated to NYSDOT
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...

. More money was devoted to the project as part of a $3 billion (equivalent to $ in ) bond issue dubbed "Rebuild New York" that was presented to voters during the November 1988 elections. The measure was approved with 55% of the vote. The money assigned to NY 531 went toward 2.3 miles (3.7 km) of the route's extension.
Despite the presence of funding, construction was delayed on the extension until 1993 due to opposition from residents of the communities surrounding NY 531's future routing—namely Gates, Spencerport
Spencerport, New York
Spencerport is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States, and a suburb of Rochester, New York. The population count was 3,559 at the 2000 census.The Village of Spencerport is within the Town of Ogden and is a village on the Erie Canal....

 and Ogden
Ogden, New York
Ogden is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 19,856 at the 2010 census.The Erie Canal passes through the Town of Ogden.-Geography:...

. The new segment of NY 531 opened to traffic in 1995. The entirety of NY 531 is dedicated the "Senator Ralph Quattrociocchi Memorial Highway" by NYSDOT in honor of Quattrociocchi and his role in making the second extension possible.

Proposed extension and improvements

In July 2004, the Genesee Transportation Council added $5.8 million to its Transportation Improvement Program aimed at stimulating the effort to extend NY 531 westward toward Brockport
Brockport, New York
Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,103 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Hiel Brockway, an early settler....

. The money went to NYSDOT for engineering and environmental studies, which began that year. Later, in September 2005, another $5.92 million was secured by Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....

 through efforts coordinated by then-United States Representative Tom Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...

. The amount was put toward the completion of the planning phase of the project.

On January 10, 2007, NYSDOT held a meeting in Brockport to discuss the future of NY 531. Three options were considered at the event. The first option advocated status quo, keeping the western terminus of NY 531 at NY 36. The second, most expensive option, would result in the extension of NY 531 along a new right-of-way to Redman Road, 1 miles (1.6 km) west of NY 19
New York State Route 19
New York State Route 19 is a north–south state highway in Western New York in the United States. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the state from the Pennsylvania state line to the shore of Lake Ontario...

, southwest of Brockport at a cost of $94 million. The third option would be to upgrade NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...

 between NY 36 and Redman Road at an expense of $41 million. The second option, if chosen, would have been difficult to implement due to its cost. As the annual budget of all of NYSDOT Region 4 equates to $90 million, the project would have to be constructed as financing became available. Two more meetings were planned in 2008 and 2009, and a request for approval of the completed design was scheduled for late 2009.

On March 26, 2009, NYSDOT announced that they were no longer considering extending NY 531 to Redman Road. The state cited the project's price tag, which had risen to $125 million, and the existing road infrastructure in the area, which the state deemed satisfactory and as not in need of an extension of NY 531. Also ruled out by the DOT was the widening of NY 31 through Ogden and Sweden
Sweden, New York
Sweden is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The Erie Canal passes through the northern part of the town and Route 19 is a major north-south highway. The population was 14,175 at the 2010 census.- History :This town was part of...

. Instead, NYSDOT will shift its focus to alleviating traffic issues at the junction of NY 531 and NY 36. Improvements considered by NYSDOT include constructing bridges for NY 531 over NY 31 and/or NY 36, converting the 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...

 between NY 36 and NY 531 into a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...

, or some combination of those and other, unnamed options. These smaller-scale projects, termed "spot improvements" by the DOT, range in cost from $12 million to $20 million.

Exit list

|-
|rowspan=2|Ogden
Ogden, New York
Ogden is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 19,856 at the 2010 census.The Erie Canal passes through the Town of Ogden.-Geography:...


|0.00
|
|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...

; access to NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...

 via NY 36 north
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|2.61
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|rowspan=4|Gates
Gates, New York
Gates is a town in Monroe County, New York. The town is named after General Horatio Gates. The population was 28,400 at the 2010 census. Gates-North Gates census-designated place is located within the town's boundaries....


|5.89
|Manitou Road
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|6.37
|Rochester Tech Park
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|6.99
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|8.02
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|Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

External links

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