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94-605: Before the New York State Thruway was built, the travel time from New York City to the Catskill Mountains was often four or five hours, especially during weekends. The Red Apple Rest, located almost halfway, became a major roadside stopping place. The restaurant was opened in May 1931 by Reuben Freed. Demolition of the site began on October 31, 2023. The Red Apple Rest had a great deal of business during

188-410: A 6-member board of directors. In 2017, the authority had operating expenses of $ 872.17 million, an outstanding debt of $ 8.827 billion, and a staffing level of 3,754 people. The authority operates without financial assistance from the state of New York . All debt is paid for through tolls and fees. A toll superhighway connecting the major cities of the state of New York that would become part of

282-465: A combination of closed ( ticket-based ), and open ( barrier-based ) tolling. From 2016 to 2018, all flat-rate barriers on the Thruway system transitioned to open road tolling , which replaced cash payment with an all-electronic tolling system using E-ZPass and toll by mail . On November 13, 2020, both ticket systems on the Thruway were converted to open road tolling. The Garden State Parkway Connector,

376-619: A gap in the I-90 designation around Albany until the completion of the 20-mile-long (32 km) Albany-Schodack Freeway in the early 1970s, which is not part of the Thruway system. The entirety of the New England Thruway became part of I-95 upon completion while the Niagara Thruway became I-90N in 1957 when it was built through downtown Buffalo, and later I-190 in 1959 upon completion. The Elmsford– Suffern section of

470-696: A hybrid system of tolls, with barrier tolls collected in urban areas, and long-distance tickets issued in rural areas. After the New Jersey Turnpike was built in 1952, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and NYSTA proposed a 13-mile (21 km) extension of the New Jersey Turnpike that would go from its end (at US 46 in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey , at the time) up to West Nyack at

564-613: A large amusement park located in the town of Darien . I-90 and the Thruway continue into Erie County and the Buffalo area. It meets NY 78 at exit 49 near Depew before passing through the Williamsville toll gantry, the northwestern end of the major closed toll system. Just west of the toll gantry, I-90 and the Thruway—now toll-free—connect to I-290 via exit 50, a semi-directional T interchange. At this point,

658-642: A large semi-directional T interchange (exit 15) near the New Jersey border. At this point, I-287 heads south into New Jersey while I-87 and the Thruway turn northward into the valley of the Ramapo River . NY 17 northbound briefly joins the Thruway at the interchange with I-287 in Suffern, and leaves the Thruway a half-mile north at exit 15A in Hillburn. The Thruway continues north through

752-787: A larger nationwide highway network was proposed as early as 1949. Construction was initially administered by the state Department of Public Works, however in the following year, the New York State Legislature passed the Thruway Authority Act creating the New York State Thruway Authority, an independent public corporation , which would build and manage the Thruway. The project was to be financed through toll revenue bonds and self-liquidating by receipt of tolls, rents, concessions, and other income. The act also stipulated NYSTA adopt

846-553: A limited amount of mileage information on their third row. The mainline of the Thruway begins (in terms of exit numbers and mileposts) as a continuation of the Major Deegan Expressway , carrying I-87 northward into Westchester County from New York City at the border between Yonkers and the Bronx . The first few exits serve various local streets and destinations in the city. At exit 4, I-87 connects to

940-619: A partial diamond interchange . All southbound trucks are forced to exit here, as the Garden State Parkway prohibits trucks north of exit 105. Thus, the final 0.31 miles (0.50 km) of the road south of the Red Schoolhouse Road exit is the only part of the Thruway system that prohibits trucks. The connector continues to the state line, where it becomes the tolled Garden State Parkway. The New York State Thruway system also consists of three other components:

1034-563: A redesign and redevelopment program in the middle of 2021. This project is expected to be completed in two phases with one completed in 2023 and the other in 2025. The operators of the rest stops are Empire State Thruway Partners. They plan to include several restaurant options. Panera Bread All components of the New York State Thruway system except for the Garden State Parkway Connector and

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1128-530: A section of the building collapsing that year. As a result, one-thirds of the building came down. 41°14′26.5″N 74°10′34.5″W  /  41.240694°N 74.176250°W  / 41.240694; -74.176250 New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially " the Thruway ") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning 569.83 miles (917.05 km) within

1222-653: A spur route leading to downtown Buffalo and Niagara Falls , at exit 53. South of the city, the Thruway meets the Aurora Expressway ( NY 400 ) and the Southern Expressway ( US 219 ) at exits 54 and 55, respectively, in West Seneca . Just southwest of exit 55, I-90 and the Thruway pass through the Lackawanna toll gantry, which serves as the northeast end of

1316-487: A year. I-87 leaves the Thruway mainline here, and the Thruway briefly becomes the unsigned reference route NY 915H, before I-90 merges into it, following the Thruway northwestward toward Schenectady . South of Schenectady, but still in Albany County , the Thruway and I-90 meet I-890 , a loop route of I-90 that directly serves the downtown district of Schenectady, at exit 25. The Thruway, meanwhile, bypasses

1410-552: Is George Carlin, who stayed in room 102 during his Saturday Night Live opening week. He required silence during the morning hours to allow for rest, but was very active with the staff during the night. It was common for him to trial material with the night shift desk clerk. After 53 years under the Freed family management, the Red Apple Rest was sold in 1984 to a Greek businessman who ran it for another 21 years. At that point it

1504-528: Is a collection of six individual components across the state of New York that connect the state to four neighboring states ( Connecticut , Massachusetts , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania ) as well as the Canadian province of Ontario . Together, the highways extend for 569.83 miles (917.05 km), making the Thruway system one of the largest toll highway systems in the United States. The longest of

1598-683: Is exit 6A; travel farther north requires a toll payment at the Yonkers toll gantry . After the toll, the thruway continues to exit 7, which grants access to Ardsley and Saw Mill River Road. All three highways take generally parallel tracks to Elmsford , where I-87 directly intersects the Saw Mill River Parkway at exit 7A. Not far to the north is exit 8, a semi-directional T interchange with I-287 (the Cross Westchester Expressway). I-287 joins

1692-566: Is open 24 hours. Free Wi-Fi service was added to all 27 service areas on March 1, 2007. NYSTA also operates the Thruway Authority Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) system, a network of radio stations across the state that broadcast information on traffic conditions along the Thruway. The system broadcasts at 1610 AM in the Rochester , Albany , Kingston , and Newburgh areas, 1620 AM in

1786-473: Is sited on the hill to the west of the restaurant, was used by performers late into the 1970s. Several Rock and Roll musicians stayed during their bookings in New York City. The location was secluded and the staff was either 'cool about it' or uninformed. Many well known performers roamed through nearby Sterling Forest while waiting to travel to their nighttime venues. One hotel guest that can be named now

1880-512: The Times Herald-Record ran an article about the town of Tuxedo and a group of British entrepreneurs looking to find a location for a new Ace Eatery . Inspired by a YouTube video, the Red Apple Rest was nominated as a potential place to open a new-eatery meant for bikers. Tuxedo town supervisor Peter Dolan mentioned that about 17,000 bikes go through Tuxedo during the summer. However, the building also needed major renovation work and

1974-708: The Connecticut state line, where it connects to the Connecticut Turnpike . The Cross Westchester Expressway, part of I-287, begins at I-87 exit 8 in Elmsford , where I-287 splits from the Thruway mainline, and travels east across Westchester County to I-95, with connections to both the New England Thruway and the Connecticut Turnpike at exit 12 in Rye . The Niagara Thruway comprises

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2068-595: The Connecticut Turnpike , and the Niagara Thruway (July 30, 1959), which connects to Canada's Queen Elizabeth Way via a border crossing near Niagara Falls . The Thruway also directly connects to New Jersey's tolled Garden State Parkway , which eventually connects to the New Jersey Turnpike , which is part of a toll road system linking New York City and Chicago that also uses tolled highways in Pennsylvania , Ohio , and Indiana . On August 14, 1957,

2162-842: The Cross County Parkway , an east-west parkway providing access to the Saw Mill River, Bronx River , and Hutchinson River parkways, all of which run parallel to the Thruway through Yonkers. The Hutchinson River and Bronx River parkways leave to the northeast midway through Yonkers, while the Saw Mill and Sprain Brook parkways follow the Thruway out of the city. Exit 5 connects to Central Park Avenue ( NY 100 ) which connects towards White Plains . After that, exit 6 connects to Tuckahoe Road, connecting towards Yonkers and Bronxville. The last free exit heading northbound

2256-715: The Finger Lakes and Syracuse areas, 1630 AM near Buffalo , and 530 AM in the New York City metropolitan area . HAR is also used to broadcast Amber / Silver Alerts if one is issued. As of August 9, 2023, a check of the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) shows that all of the Highway Advisory Radio stations licensed to the New York State Thruway Authority show a status of "Expired" or "Cancelled". The New York Thruway Travel Plazas started

2350-653: The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge . Here, the canal leaves the Thruway for good, turning northwestward to follow the NY ;31 corridor to Rochester and beyond. The portion of the Thruway between Montezuma and the Rochester area is one of mostly rural nature, with the highway passing through remote, open fields, and for the most part avoiding highly populated areas. Along this stretch, it connects to two cities, both located well to

2444-739: The New England Thruway , the Cross Westchester Expressway , and the Niagara Thruway . The New England Thruway (NET) is a 15.01-mile (24.16 km) section of Interstate 95 under the operation and maintenance of the New York State Thruway Authority. It begins at the Pelham Parkway interchange (exit 8) in the Co-op City section of the Bronx and continues northeastward into Westchester County to

2538-669: The New York State Police , is 65 miles per hour along most of the Thruway. The main exceptions to this are in the suburbs and city of Buffalo and in Westchester and Rockland counties. There, the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. I-90, which comprises the bulk of the mainline and the Berkshire Connector, runs for 365.55 miles (588.30 km) along the Thruway: 17.70 miles (28.49 km) as part of

2632-636: The Palisades Interstate Parkway . By 1970, it became too expensive to buy right-of-way access, and community opposition was fierce. Therefore, both the NJTA and NYSTA cancelled the project. In 1990, the state of New York sold the Cross-Westchester Expressway (part of I-287) to NYSTA for $ 20 million (equivalent to $ 41.2 million in 2023) in an effort to balance the state's budget. Similarly, in 1991,

2726-587: The Tappan Zee's replacement to be a dual- span twin bridge . Construction officially began in October 2013, with the new spans being built to the north of the existing bridge. The new bridge connects to the existing highway approaches of I-87 and I-287 on both river banks. The northbound/westbound span opened on August 25, 2017. Southbound/eastbound traffic remained on the old bridge until October 6, 2017. At that point, southbound/eastbound traffic shifted to

2820-532: The Turning Stone Resort & Casino via NY 365. The highway continues onward through a sparsely-populated area between Verona and Syracuse, passing roughly 5 miles (8 km) south of Oneida Lake as it connects to the village of Canastota by way of NY 13 at exit 34. As the highway approaches exit 34A ( I-481 ) outside of Syracuse , the surroundings become more developed. The level of development rises sharply west of I-481 as

2914-407: The 1940s and 1950s. It was open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and was patronized by so-called " Borscht Belt " comedians and professional athletes as well as families traveling to campgrounds and resorts. Although the Thruway (which was built beginning 1953) bypassed the restaurant, and vacationing in the Catskill Mountains became less popular after the 1960s, the restaurant remained very busy until

Red Apple Rest - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-462: The 1970s. In 1965 the Red Apple Rest served one million customers. In his book on Jewish comedians in America, The Haunted Smile , author Lawrence J. Epstein said that comedians would stop at the Red Apple Rest late at night and "would go over the acts, describe the audience, and gather gossip about the other comedians and about routines ripe for buying or 'borrowing.'" The Red Apple Motel, which

3102-401: The 426-mile (686 km) mainline between Buffalo and the Bronx were completed and opened throughout 1954 and 1955. The last segment, from Yonkers south to the Bronx, was completed on August 31, 1956. The total cost was $ 600 million (equivalent to $ 5.15 billion in 2023), financed by the sale of $ 972 million in bonds (equivalent to $ 8.35 billion in 2023). At the time, it was

3196-756: The Authority was directed to assume the cost of operating and maintaining the 71-mile (114 km) segment of I-84 in New York , which runs east–west from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line at Brewster . The agreement made at this time between NYSTA and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) allowed NYSTA to transfer I-84 back to the state at any point after 1996 provided that

3290-477: The Berkshire Connector and 347.85 miles (559.81 km) on the mainline. I-87 comprises the remaining 148.15 miles (238.42 km) of the mainline, including an 18.86-mile (30.35 km) concurrency with I-287 north of New York City. I-287 covers another 29.76 miles (47.89 km) (including the 18.86 miles (30.35 km) shared with I-87), while I-190 spans 21.24 miles (34.18 km) and I-95 covers 15.01 miles (24.16 km). All highways maintained by

3384-719: The Berkshire Connector and follows the spur east into Columbia County . While the Rensselaer County segment follows a mostly east–west routing, the Berkshire Connector in Columbia County takes on a northwest-southeast alignment as the roadway heads towards exit B2 in East Chatham . The junction serves as the northern terminus of the Taconic State Parkway , which connects the spur to the New York City area. About 2 miles (3.2 km) to

3478-501: The Berkshire Connector, the Garden State Parkway Connector, the New England Thruway (I-95), the Niagara Thruway (I-190), and the Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287). The portion of I-84 in New York was maintained by the Thruway Authority from 1991 to 2010, but it was never part of the Thruway system and is currently maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). The Thruway formerly utilized

3572-489: The Cross Westchester Expressway and the section of the mainline in and around Buffalo are toll-free. Motorists with E-ZPasses receive a greater discount on the toll-by-mail rate than out-of-state E-ZPass members do. The Thruway is partly subsidized by the tolls, whereas other parts are subsidized by NYSDOT, a 50/50 for the toll-free areas, and cashless/tolled areas. The New York State Thruway system

3666-421: The Cross Westchester Expressway are tolled in some capacity. The entire Thruway has used an all-electronic, open road tolling system since November 14, 2020, with tolls being collected by E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail . Seventy electronic toll gantries comprise the Thruway toll system. New York State Thruway Authority The New York State Thruway Authority ( NYSTA ) is a public benefit corporation in

3760-654: The Mohawk River and the Erie Canal while NY 49 continues northwestward along the northern bank of the water-bodies toward Rome . On the other side of the river, the Thruway curves back to the west, proceeding to exit 32 in Westmoreland . Not far to the west, the Thruway has a junction with NY 365 at exit 33 in Verona . Here, the Thruway connects to the cities of Rome and Oneida and serves

3854-616: The New Rochelle toll barrier was widened by four booths. The Schoharie Creek Bridge was a Thruway bridge over the Schoharie Creek near Fort Hunter and the Mohawk River . On April 5, 1987, it collapsed due to bridge scour at the foundations after a record rainfall. At the time of the collapse, one car and one tractor-semitrailer were on the bridge. Before the road could be blocked off, three more cars drove into

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3948-583: The New York State Legislature officially renamed the Thruway in honor of Thomas E. Dewey , the Governor of New York at the time of the Thruway's opening. The official designation is, however, rarely used in reference to the road. The last section of the mainline to receive a designation—from Suffern to Newburgh—finally received one on January 1, 1970, when I-87 was realigned to follow the Thruway for its entire length south of Albany and

4042-492: The New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) lack the reference markers that exist on all New York State Department of Transportation -maintained roads, as would be expected. In their place, NYSTA-controlled roadways use small, square tenth-mile markers with a white background and blue numbering. These markers differ from the white-on-green reference markers used by NYSDOT on state-maintained highways, which are 10 inches (254 mm) high and 8 inches (203 mm) wide and display

4136-411: The Niagara Thruway (I-190) in Buffalo for one year. On October 30, 2006, NYSTA voted to permanently remove the tolls. Both major candidates in the 2006 gubernatorial election , Democrat and eventual victor Eliot Spitzer and Republican John Faso , had pledged to remove the tolls on I-190 if elected. In order to offset the lost toll revenue, NYSTA also voted to return maintenance of I-84 to NYSDOT, as

4230-694: The Pennsylvania state line. I-90, however, continues onward into Pennsylvania as a toll-free highway. The Berkshire Connector is a 24.28-mile (39.07 km) east–west spur connecting the Thruway mainline in Coeymans to the Massachusetts Turnpike at the Massachusetts state line in Canaan . It is tolled as part of the closed toll system in place on the mainline between exits 16 and 50. The highway begins at exit 21A off

4324-468: The Thruway Authority Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) system, a network of radio stations across the state that broadcast information on traffic conditions along the Thruway. The system broadcasts at 1610 AM in the Newburgh , Kingston , Albany , and Rochester areas, 1620 AM in the Herkimer , Verona , LaFayette , Syracuse , and Geneva / Waterloo areas, 530 AM in the New York City Region / Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor, and at 1630 AM in

4418-444: The Thruway Authority gave NYSDOT a one-year notice. Around this time, state officials also investigated the possibility of having NYSTA take over ownership and maintenance of all or part of New York's Interstate Highways . Roughly one week before the November 2006 elections, NYSTA accepted $ 14 million from the State Senate in exchange for agreeing to cease the collection of tolls at the Black Rock and City Line toll barriers on

4512-449: The Thruway Authority to maintain I-84. A formal agreement between the two agencies was reached on September 19. The one-year agreement cost NYSDOT $ 11.5 million and took effect October 30, the date I-84 was to become DOT-maintained. The agreement was renewed in April 2008 at a cost of $ 10.3 million, extending the arrangement through October 31, 2009. It remained in place until October 11, 2010, when NYSDOT re-assumed maintenance of

4606-414: The Thruway enters Salina , a northern suburb of Syracuse. Within Salina, I-90 and the Thruway intersect I-81 , which connects the Thruway to both downtown Syracuse and Syracuse Hancock International Airport . West of Salina, the Thruway passes north of Liverpool and Onondaga Lake before intersecting I-690 and its northern continuation, NY 690 , at exit 39 in Van Buren . At this point,

4700-426: The Thruway heads northward, roughly paralleling the Hudson River to the river's west as it serves the city of Newburgh , the village of New Paltz , and the city of Kingston , connecting to the short I-587 in the latter. Past Kingston, the highway runs closer to the river as it parallels U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) through the towns of Saugerties , Catskill , Coxsackie , and Ravena . Just north of Ravena,

4794-514: The Thruway here, following I-87 west across the Hudson River into Rockland County on the Tappan Zee Bridge . I-87 and I-287 remain overlapped for 15 miles (24 km) through the densely-populated southern portion of Rockland County, meeting the Palisades Interstate Parkway (exit 13) and the Garden State Parkway Connector , the latter of which provides access to the Garden State Parkway (exit 14A) in New Jersey. The Thruway continues generally westward to Suffern , where I-87 and I-287 split at

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4888-443: The Thruway is the fifth-busiest toll road in the United States. The toll road is also a major route for long distance travelers linking the cities of Toronto , Buffalo, and Montreal with Boston and New York City. A tolled highway connecting the major cities of New York was first proposed in 1949. The first section of the Thruway, between Lowell, New York (south of Rome ) and Rochester , opened on June 24, 1954. The remainder of

4982-483: The Thruway mainline at exit 14A in Ramapo with the Garden State Parkway at the New Jersey state line. It is designated as NY 982L , an unsigned reference route. The highway begins, in terms of mileposts, at Thruway ( I-87 and I-287 ) exit 14A in Ramapo and heads generally southwestward as a toll-free highway toward the state line. Just north of the state line, the southbound connector meets Red Schoolhouse Road ( County Route 41 or CR 41) at

5076-411: The Thruway meets the west end of the Berkshire Connector, a spur linking the Thruway mainline to the Massachusetts Turnpike 25 miles (40 km) to the east. The highway continues into Albany , where it connects to Troy via I-787 at exit 23 and intersects I-90 at exit 24. The latter of the two junctions is the busiest of the Thruway's exits, serving an estimated 27 million vehicles

5170-429: The Thruway serve several riverside communities, including the cities of Amsterdam (exit 27 via NY 30 ) and Little Falls (exit 29A, NY 169 ) and the villages of Fonda (exit 28, NY 30A ), Canajoharie (exit 29, NY 5S and NY 10 ), and Herkimer (exit 30, NY 28 ). Like Schenectady before it, the Thruway bypasses downtown Utica, following an alignment north of

5264-436: The Thruway southwest of Selkirk in the town of Coeymans (south of Albany ) as NY 912M , an unsigned reference route . It proceeds eastward over the Hudson River and into Rensselaer County by way of the Castleton Bridge . It navigates through the southern, rural portion of the county to exit B1 in Schodack , where the connector meets I-90. The unsigned NY 912M designation terminates here while I-90 joins

5358-452: The Thruway turns southward, passing through the immediate eastern suburbs of Buffalo. As it heads south, it meets the Kensington Expressway ( NY 33 ) at exit 51 and Walden Avenue at exit 52, both cloverleaf interchanges . At exit 52, it passes to the west of the Walden Galleria , a shopping mall situated at the nearby junction of Walden Avenue and NY 277 . Two exits later in southern Cheektowaga , I-90 meets I-190 ,

5452-452: The Thruway. The portion through New Jersey was to be constructed and maintained by NJTA, while the portion in New York was to be built and maintained by NYSTA. The purpose of this extension was to give motorists a "more direct bypass of the New York City area" to New England by using the Tappan Zee Bridge . The extension was to parallel NY 303 and the Conrail -owned River Line , and have limited interchanges, one of which would be with

5546-432: The Thruway. The project was to be financed through toll revenue bonds and self-liquidating by receipt of tolls, rents, concessions, and other income. The act also stipulated NYSTA adopt a hybrid system of tolls, with barrier tolls collected in urban areas, and long-distance tickets issued in rural areas. The first section of Thruway, a 115-mile stretch from Lowell to Rochester , opened on June 24, 1954. Other sections of

5640-400: The U.S. state of New York . The NYSTA was formed in 1950 with the responsibility of constructing, maintaining, and operating the New York State Thruway , a system of limited-access highways within the state. In August 2017, Matthew J. Driscoll was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo as the Acting Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority. The executive officers report to

5734-439: The U.S. state of New York . It is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), a New York State public-benefit corporation . The 496.00-mile (798.23 km) mainline is a freeway that extends from the New York City line at Yonkers to the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley by way of I-87 and I-90 through Albany , Syracuse , and Buffalo . According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association,

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5828-474: The amount of development along the Thruway sharply declines as it heads generally westward through a marshy area of Onondaga County . I-90 and the Thruway reconnect to the Erie Canal (here part of the Seneca River ) at the western county line. Now in Cayuga County , the highway serves Weedsport via exit 40 and NY 34 , exit 41 serving Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre, New York and passes north of Port Byron prior to entering Seneca County and

5922-416: The annual maintenance cost of I-84 was considered to be equal to the amount of annual revenue generated from the Buffalo toll barriers—approximately $ 14 million. Under the terms of the 1991 agreement between NYSTA and NYSDOT, maintenance of I-84 would become the responsibility of the DOT on October 30, 2007. In January 2007, State Senator John Bonacic of Mount Hope began drafting legislation to halt

6016-402: The bridge carried fewer than 40,000 vehicles per day. Part of the justification for replacing the bridge stems from its construction immediately following the Korean War on a low budget of only $ 81 million. Unlike other major bridges in metropolitan New York , the Tappan Zee was designed only to last 50 years. The Federal Highway Administration issued a report in October 2011 designating

6110-432: The city to the south and west, intersecting I-88 at exit 25A in Rotterdam before reuniting with I-890 at exit 26 west of Scotia . Travel between I-88 (Exit 25A) and exits 24, 25, and 26 in either direction is toll-free. From exit 26 west to Utica , the mainline of the Thruway parallels the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River , crossing over the water-bodies at Mohawk . In between Schenectady and Utica, I-90 and

6204-444: The city while I-790 serves it directly. I-790 breaks from the Thruway at exit 31 and runs along two carriageways flanking the mainline on both sides for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before turning southward onto the North-South Arterial. The adjacent highways become NY 49 , which parallels the Thruway for another 2 miles (3.2 km) northwestward. At the end of this stretch, the Thruway turns slightly southwestward, crossing over

6298-399: The concurrency of the New York State Thruway, I-87, and I-287, was a cantilever bridge built during 1952–55. The bridge was three miles (4.8 km) long and spanned the Hudson at its second-widest point. Before its replacement in 2017, the deteriorating structure carried an average of 138,000 vehicles per day, substantially more traffic than its design capacity. During its first decade,

6392-425: The day. Two plazas—the New Baltimore plaza at milepost 127 and the Angola plaza at milepost 447—are accessible from both directions of the Thruway; the remainder are accessible from only one direction (although the Sloatsburg and Ramapo service plazas at milepost 33 were connected via a pedestrian bridge until 2021). Each plaza features a gas station and a variety of restaurants, at least one of which

6486-475: The entire Berkshire Connector part of I-90 and redesignating the non-toll part of I-90 from Thruway exit 24 to exit B1 as I-88 . The Thruway main line would be designated as both I-90 and I-88 between exits 25A and 24, and as I-90 and I-87 from exit 24 to exit 21A. This was never implemented, as the FHWA wished to preserve the I-88 numbering for a potential future corridor connecting Albany and northern interior New England. When I-84

6580-434: The entire Thruway would transition to cashless tolling. Tolls on the entire Thruway became completely cashless two days later. The cashless tolling project cost $ 355 million. There are 27 service areas along the Thruway, all on the New York–Ripley mainline. The service areas, called "travel plazas" by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), are spaced roughly 30 miles (48 km) apart and are open at all hours of

6674-490: The first 21.24 miles (34.18 km) of I-190 from I-90 in Buffalo to NY 384 in Niagara Falls . A toll superhighway connecting the major cities of the state of New York that would become part of a larger nationwide highway network was proposed as early as 1949. The following year, the New York State Legislature passed the Thruway Authority Act creating the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), an independent public corporation , which would build and manage

6768-611: The first agency to implement the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system. By December 1996, it was implemented at all of the Thruway's fixed-toll barriers and at exits along the Berkshire Connector and the New York City–Buffalo section of the mainline. E-ZPass was installed at all of the mainline exits by March 1998. In 1999, NYSDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and NYSTA discussed making

6862-477: The former portion of I-87 between White Plains and Brewster became I-684 . On February 28, 1974, exit 14B was opened. The closed-toll (originally ticket) system originally began at Spring Valley but was moved to Woodbury on March 3, 1974, allowing interchanges along the Thruway in Rockland County to be free of tolls. The Suffern toll plaza was demolished soon after this change. In 1984,

6956-510: The gap. The collapse killed ten people. The replacement bridge was completed and fully open to traffic on May 21, 1988. In 1994, exit 5 was rebuilt, replacing the original trumpet interchange with a more complex configuration. Part of the old interchange was not enitrly demloished however. The Spring Vallery barrier's car toll was removed in July 1997. At the time, the toll was $ 0.40 (equivalent to $ 1.00 in 2023). In August 1993, NYSTA became

7050-604: The highway. The change was made in the 2010–2011 state budget in an effort to reduce the cost of maintaining I-84. Governor David Paterson —who included the change in the budget—expected that the state would save $ 3.9 million annually on maintenance costs. The NYSTA owned the New York State Canal Corporation from 1992 until 2017. Ownership was subsequently transferred to the New York Power Authority . NYSTA also operates

7144-631: The last on its routing, it cuts through the northwestern portion of the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation , situated on Cattaraugus Creek . The Thruway continues alongside US 20 past Dunkirk and Westfield to the Ripley toll gantry, the southwestern end of the minor closed toll system just northeast of exit 61 for Shortman Road. Travelers heading eastbound from Pennsylvania can access Shortman Road toll-free. The Thruway ends about 1 mile (1.6 km) after exit 61 at

7238-498: The longest toll road in the world. In 1957, the mainline was extended 70 miles (113 km) west from Buffalo along Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania state line . From 1957 to 1960, several spurs of the road were built to connect the road to turnpikes in adjacent states. These include the Berkshire Connector (May 26, 1959), which connects to the Massachusetts Turnpike , the New England Thruway (October 31, 1958) and Cross Westchester Expressway (December 1, 1960), which both connect to

7332-534: The mainline near Selkirk and where it joins up with Interstate 90 at exit B1 in Schodack , and a short section of the mainline within exit 24 in Albany that is located between where I-87 departs the roadway and I-90 enters it. They are designated as New York State Route 982L (NY 982L), NY 912M, and NY 915H, respectively, all unsigned reference routes . The speed limit, enforced by

7426-462: The mainline was designated as part of I-287 upon completion of the Cross Westchester Expressway (also I-287) in 1960. The highway was distinctive in that original signage utilized dark blue backgrounds, the same color blue as displayed on the New York state flag . Over time, these signs were replaced with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-approved green backgrounds. On September 1, 1964,

7520-469: The mainline was opened in 1955, and many of its spurs connecting to highways in other states and the Canadian province of Ontario were built in the 1950s. In 1957, much of the Thruway system was included as portions of Interstate 87 (I-87), I-90 , and I-95 . Other segments became part of I-190 and I-287 shortly afterward. Today, the system comprises six highways: the New York–Ripley mainline,

7614-501: The minor closed toll system. Once again a toll road, the Thruway heads southwestward, roughly paralleling the shoreline of Lake Erie to Blasdell , where it connects to NY 179 (the Milestrip Expressway). Farther southwestward, the Thruway is joined by US 20 , which follows a parallel routing to that of the Thruway to the Pennsylvania state line . As the route passes from Erie County to Chautauqua County ,

7708-488: The planned transfer of maintenance of I-84. Bonacic asserted that the Thruway Authority had better maintenance practices than NYSDOT, most notably in the field of snow removal. He also claimed that the DOT lacked the time and money needed to match the quality of maintenance that NYSTA performed on I-84. The senator eventually prevailed as the 2007–2008 budget was modified to allocate additional funding to NYSDOT, which would then pay

7802-520: The river valley toward Harriman , where it encounters the Woodbury toll gantry, the southeastern end of the mainline's major closed toll system. The gantry is located on the mainline within exit 16 ( NY 17 ), a trumpet interchange . Along with the mainline gantry in Harriman, an toll plaza]] exists on future I-86 midway between the Thruway and NY 17. Now a completely tolled highway,

7896-611: The segment of the mainline between the Pennsylvania border and the Adirondack Northway in Albany became part of I-90 while the portions from the Northway south to Newburgh and from Elmsford south to the New York City line were included in I-87 . Between Elmsford and Newburgh, I-87 followed I-287, what is now I-684, and I-84. Upon its completion, the Berkshire Connector east of US 9 also became part of I-90, creating

7990-530: The six components is the 496-mile (798 km) mainline. Of the 570 miles in the Thruway system, 560.85 miles (902.60 km) (98.4%) carries at least one Interstate Highway designation. Only three sections of the system are not part of the Interstate Highway System; these are the Garden State Parkway Connector in Rockland County , a 6-mile (10 km) portion of the Berkshire Connector between its western terminus at exit 21A on

8084-526: The south of the Thruway: Geneva by way of exit 42 for NY 14 and Canandaigua by way of exit 43 via NY 21 . The next exit along the highway, exit 44 for NY 332 , also serves Canandaigua; the junction is the primary exit for Canandaigua-bound travelers from the Rochester area. Here, the Thruway temporarily widens from four to six lanes as it continues generally westward to meet I-490 at exit 45 near Victor . As in

8178-734: The southbound toll plaza at the Tappan Zee Bridge in Westchester County was closed and replaced with a southbound all-electronic toll gantry on the Rockland County side of the bridge. In late 2018, all remaining flat-rate toll barriers on the Thruway were replaced with electronic toll gantries. In October 2020, it was announced that the transition to cashless tolls would go into effect the following month, which would eliminate all toll booths and their operators. On November 12, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that

8272-402: The southeast is the Canaan toll gantry, which marks the end of the Thruway ticket system. The last exit on the Berkshire Connector is exit B3 for NY 22 just west of the Massachusetts state line in Canaan . The spur continues east to the state line, where it becomes the Massachusetts Turnpike . The Garden State Parkway Connector is a 2.40-mile (3.86 km) highway that connects

8366-684: The vicinity of Schenectady and Utica, an auxiliary route of I-90—here I-490—directly serves a city (Rochester) while the Thruway bypasses it. It heads northwestward through the city's southern, mostly rural suburbs to Henrietta , where it meets I-390 at exit 46. Henrietta is as close as the Thruway gets to downtown as it proceeds west to Le Roy , where I-490 reconnects to I-90 at exit 47. I-90 continues onward into Genesee County , intersecting with NY 98 at exit 48 north of Batavia and NY 77 at exit 48A in Pembroke . The latter exit provides access to Six Flags Darien Lake ,

8460-521: The westbound span of the new bridge and the old bridge closed. The bridge's eastbound span opened to traffic on September 11, 2018. Upon completion, the new Tappan Zee Bridge became one of the longest cable-stayed spans in the nation. In late 2018, ramp meters were installed on all entrance ramps to the Thruway mainline in Westchester County (exits 1-9) and at all entrances to the entire Cross Westchester Expressway. Ramp meters were activated at exits 11, 12, and 13 in October 2020. On April 23, 2016,

8554-552: Was built through the Newburgh area in the early 1960s, no interchange was built between I-84 and the Thruway. Instead, the connection was made via a short segment of NY 300 , which both I-84 and I-87 meet via interchanges. Construction on a direct connection between the Thruway mainline and I-84 began in August 2003. The portion of the exit carrying traffic from I-84 to the Thruway was opened in July 2009. The opposite direction

8648-648: Was mostly catering to locals due to the fact that the Catskills had dwindled away as a destination. It closed in September 2006—purportedly for various reasons. The restaurant was featured in several movies such as Woody Allen 's Deconstructing Harry , A Walk on the Moon , Tenderness and Oliver's Story , and the November 28, 2013, installment of Bill Griffith 's comic strip Zippy . On August 25, 2011,

8742-534: Was opened two months later on September 23. The connection allows cars to travel between I-87, I-84 and NY 300 via splits in the ramp. On May 14, 2010, a new E-ZPass configuration, consisting of two highway speed E-ZPass lanes in each direction, became operational at the Woodbury toll plaza, with concrete barriers separating the faster traffic from the staffed toll lanes necessary for vehicles not equipped for E-ZPass. The original Tappan Zee Bridge , carrying

8836-499: Was up against many other possible locations. If the Red Apple Rest had been chosen, the new restaurant would have opened in 2012. Founder Reuben Freed's youngest daughter, Elaine Freed Lindenblatt, published Stop at the Red Apple ( SUNY Press , 2014), a memoir chronicling the 50-plus-year history of the original Red Apple Rest in its heyday and beyond. A partial demolition of the Red Apple Rest began on October 30, 2023 due to

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