Interstate 88 (Eastern)

Interstate 88 New York
History
East End
West End

Overview

An intrastate route in Upstate New York, Interstate 88 angles northeast from Binghamton to the Capital District along a scenic and rural route. Smaller cities and towns along the route include Sidney, Oneonta and Cobleskill. East from Harpursville, I-88 travels along side the Susquehanna River through a valley to the Town of Milford by South Hill.

History

Not incorporated in the original 1956 Interstate Highway plans, the eastern Interstate 88 was established in 1967.1 The New York Legislature authorized the highway in 1968, with major construction underway between 1974 and 1980 at a cost of $500 million.2 The freeway replaced New York Route 7 between the Southern Tier and Schenectady.

The last portion built was the 1.5 mile segment between Interstate 81 and Chenango Bridge. Included on this section is the 2,650 foot long bridge across the Chenango River. Work on the $20.3 million link ran from 1987 to January 1, 1989.1 The freeway was named the Warren M. Anderson Expressway in 1989, after the former state Senate majority leader and proponent of the I-88 corridor.3

An eastern extension between Schenectady to Albany was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on June 23, 1969, but never signed. A second plan to lengthen I-88 arose in 1999 when the Thruway Authority, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposed renumbering the free portion of I-90 between the Thruway Mainline and the Berkshire Spur as I-88 while shifting Interstate 90 entirely on the toll road system. This was also never implemented.4

Eastern New York - 1979

Eastern New York – Excerpt from the 1979 Rand McNally Road Atlas.

Interstate 88 was fully open from NY 7 north of Port Dickinson to Oneonta in 1979. The portion east from Oneonta to U.S. 20 near Duanesburg was completed the following year.

Route Information

  • East End – Schenectady, NY
  • West End – Binghamton, NY
  • Branch Routes – 0
  • Mileage – 117.75
  • Cities – Binghamton, Oneonta, Schenectady
  • Junctions – I-81 I-90 NY Thruway

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Schenectady, NY - 1979
Schenectady, New York – Excerpt from the 1979 Rand McNally Road Atlas.

Earlier proposals for Interstate 88 took the easternmost stretch of the route to the New York Thruway opposite the south end of I-890. The route was ultimately constructed to end at a point midway between the ends of I-890. Motorists entering the Thruway from I-88 may travel the toll road for free to Schenectady.

Highway Guides

East End I-90 NY Thruway – Schenectady, New York

I-88 East at I-90 NY Thruway

I-88 east at I-90/NY Thruway - Rotterdam

A diamond interchange (Exit 25) links Interstate 88 with adjacent NY 7 (Duanesburg Road) just ahead of I-90 and the town of Rotterdam. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-88 east at I-90/NY Thruway - Rotterdam

I-90 leaves the New York Thruway 14 miles to the east at Interstate 87 (Adirondack Northway) for Albany. Heading west toward Utica, Syracuse and Rochester, I-90 reaches Buffalo in 265 miles. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-88 east at I-90/NY Thruway - Rotterdam

A pair of end shields precede the New York Thruway toll plaza. Motorists bound for Schenectady via Interstate 890 are not charged a toll from I-88 east. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-88 east at I-90/NY Thruway - Rotterdam

Exiting the toll plaza, traffic partitions for Interstate 90 (New York Thruway). Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-90 NY Thruway East at I-88

I-90/NY Thruway east at I-88 - Rotterdam

I-90/New York Thruway runs south from the west end of I-890 to the east end of I-88 at Exit 25A. Photo by Doug Kerr (03/31/12).

I-90/NY Thruway east at I-88 - Rotterdam

The trumpet interchange (Exit 25A) with Interstate 88 west lies just south of a Delaware and Hudson Railway overpass. Photo by Doug Kerr (06/15/12).

I-90 NY Thruway West at I-88

I-90/NY Thruway west at I-88 - Rotterdam

The second of three interchanges for Schenectady along the New York Thruway joins I-90 with Interstate 88 west to NY 7 (Duanesburg Road) at Exit 25A. 08/22/21

I-90/NY Thruway west at I-88 - Rotterdam

Exit 25A leaves Interstate 90 west for I-88 to Oneonta, Sidney and Binghamton. 08/22/21

I-90/NY Thruway west at I-88 - 2002

NY 7 (Duanesburg Road) spans the New York Thruway west from the town of Rotterdam at Exit 25A. I-90 continues 128 miles west to Syracuse. Photo by Chris Jordan (12/27/02).

I-88 West

I-88 west at NY 7 - Rotterdam

Exit 25 departs Interstate 88 to the immediate west of the New York Thruway. A short access road links the freeway with NY 7 (Duanesburg Road) at Becker Road. 06/28/05

I-88 west at NY 7 - Rotterdam

The first confirming marker for Interstate 88 westbound. 06/28/05

West End I-81 – Binghamton, New York

I-88 West at I-81

I-88 west at I-81 - Chenango Bridge, NY

Exit 2 departs I-88 west for the beginning of NY 12A. The state route crosses the Chenango River between I-88 and Chenango Bridge. Photo by Doug Kerr (01/27/10).

I-88 west at I-81 - Port Dickinson, NY

NY 7 intertwines with I-88 west from Schenectady, overlapping with the freeway between Exit 1 and 4. 08/24/21

I-88 west at I-81 - Port Dickinson, NY

I-88 follows an elevated route west, crossing the Chenango River to the exchange with Interstate 81. The freeway defaults onto I-81 south toward Downtown Binghamton and I-86/NY 17. 08/24/21

I-81 North at I-88

I-81 north at I-88 - Binghamton, NY

Completed in 2020, the Prospect Mountain Interchange Reconstruction project rebuilt the exchange joining I-81, I-86 and NY 17 less than two miles south of the Interstate 88 west end. 08/24/21

I-81 north at I-88 - Dickinson, NY

Paralleling U.S. 11 and the Chenango River, Interstate 81 advances north 0.75 miles from the Front Street overpass to a wye interchange with Interstate 88 east. 08/24/21

I-81 north at I-88 - Dickinson, NY

An auxiliary lane opens in both directions of I-81 between Exit 5 for U.S. 11 and Interstate 88. Albany lies 134 miles to the northeast, 16 miles beyond the end of I-88 at Schenectady. 08/24/21

I-81 north at I-88 - Dickinson, NY

Interstate 88 branches east from I-81 across the Chenango River into Chenango Bridge. The freeway east joins Binghamton with Colesville, Bainbridge and Oneonta. 08/24/21

I-81 South at I-88

I-81 south at US 11 - Chenango, NY

I-81 southbound at the half diamond interchange (Exit 6) with U.S. 11 (Castle Creek Road) at Hinmans Corners. U.S. 11, NY 12 and NY 12A (Chenango Bridge Road) provide one of two routes connecting with I-88 east. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-81 south at US 11 - Chenango, NY

Continuing south from the wye interchange with Interstate 88 west, I-81 expands to four lanes. A lane drop occurs in a half mile for U.S. 11 (Front Street), where motorists can make a U-turn for I-81 north to I-88 east. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-81 south at US 11 - Chenango, NY

Entering the folded diamond interchange (Exit 5) with U.S. 11 (Front Street) on Interstate 81 south. I-81 combines with I-86/NY 17 east in 1.25 miles. Photo by Doug Kerr (10/21/12).

I-88 West End Throwback

I-88 west at I-81 - 2005

NY 7 parts ways with Interstate 88 west for Port Dickinson just ahead of I-81. 05/11/05

I-88 west at I-81 - 2005

Syracuse is 70 miles to the north of the west end of Interstate 88 along I-81. 05/11/05

I-88 west at I-81 - 2005

Removed sometime after 2012, an Interstate 88 end shield previously stood along the southbound ramp to I-81. 05/11/05

Sources:

  1. “Albany Firm Bids Low On I-88 Work.” The Times Union (Albany, NY), December 24, 1986.
  2. “I-88 May Be Named After Anderson.” The Times Union (Albany, NY), March 10, 1989.
  3. “Lawmakers OK Anderson Expressway.” The Times Union (Albany, NY), June 29, 1989.
  4. “Thruway connector’s name spurs question“, Getting There (timesunion.com), March 25, 2010.

Page updated May 30, 2022.