Interstate 890 New York

Overview

Interstate 890 comprises an urban loop from the New York Thruway into the city of Schenectady. The freeway serves Downtown and the General Electric (GE) Schenectady campus, headquarters of the GE Power business unit. New York Route 890 extends north from the access road to I-90 across the Mohawk River into southern Saratoga County. That state route spurs north to NY 5 in the town of Glenville.

Mileage by State

New York

8.80 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2025 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

History

The Interstate Urban Area Numerology for New York submitted to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on August 22, 1958 proposed Route 690 for the Thruway Spur Connection in Schenectady. AASHO changed 690 to 890 to keep the numerical order of loops and spurs in sequence from west to east. This was the result of Route 190 bypassing Buffalo changing to Route 290, Rochester's 290 to 490 and Syracuse's 490 to 690. AASHO made the changes official on November 10, 1958.

Interstate 890 was constructed during the late 1950s and early 1960s.¹ An extension of the freeway northward across the Mohawk River to NY 5 in Glenville opened initially with ramps to NY 5S on October 31, 1997.² Numbered as NY 890, the four lane Mohawk River bridge opened to traffic on October 20, 1998 following a ribbon cutting ceremony held that morning.³

Construction between April 25 and November 2016 reconfigured the interchange built in the 1960s at the GE Schenectady campus, Erie Boulevard and Washington Avenue (Exits 4 A/B). The $4.6 million project replaced the loop ramp at Exit 4 B along westbound with a new ramp slightly to the east of the former. The off-ramp at Exit 4 B from I-890 east closed permanently, with traffic redirected via Exit 4 A to the west. That ramp was renumbered to Exit 4.⁴ The inner loop connecting Erie Boulevard with I-890 east and Edison Avenue also permanently closed. It was filled with 11,300 cubic yards of earth after June 2016.⁵

East End  ‐ Rotterdam, NY

East at

I-890 east concludes one mile beyond the diamond interchange (Exit 8) with High Bridge Road. The ensuing exit joins the freeway loop with NY 7 (Curry Road). 03/26/23

East at

Adjacent ramps from I-890 east beyond Exit 25 connect the Schenectady freeway loop with NY 146 to Fort Hunter and NY 7 to Rotterdam. 03/26/23

West at

Interstate 90 travels northwest from Albany through the town of Colonie to meet I-890 at Exit 25 near Fort Hunter. 08/22/21

West End  ‐ Rotterdam, NY

West at

Paralleling the Mohawk River, I-890 advances north to Exit 1 B for the New York Thruway access road connecting with I-90 west to Utica and east to Albany. 03/26/23

East at

NY 890 stems south from NY 5 (Amsterdam Road) and Vley Road (County Route 30) across the Mohawk River to Interstate 890. 03/26/23

East at

The New York Thruway straddles the northern hillside overlooking the Mohawk River to Rotterdam and Exit 25. Photo by Doug Kerr (07/10/10).

West at

Exit 25 is the fifth in a series of consecutive Interstate highway interchanges along the New York Thruway west. 08/22/21

References

1. Jordan, C. Interstate 890. Capital Highways. Retrieved from http://www.capitalhighways.8m.com/highways/890i
2. "New ramps to open linking Route 5S, Exit 26, I-890." The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY), October 31, 1997.
3. "Mohawk span done " The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY), October 21, 1998.
4. "Notorious I-890 loop in Schenectady on the way out." The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY), April 21, 2016.
5. "Redesign of I-890 Exit 4 reaches completion." The Daily Gazette, November 3, 2016.