Interstate 390(I-390) is a 76.06-mile (122.41 km) north–southauxiliary Interstate Highwaylocated entirely withinNew Yorkin the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at theSouthern Tier Expressway(I-86andNew York State Route 17,or NY 17) in the town ofAvoca.Its northern terminus is atI-490(Western Expressway) inGates,just west ofRochester.North of I-490, the expressway continues asNY 390to theLake Ontario State ParkwayinGreece.I-390 connects to its parent,I-90(New York State Thruway), inHenrietta,a southern suburb of Rochester. The route is known as theGenesee Expresswayfrom Avoca toI-590inBrighton,where it becomes part of theRochester Outer Loop.
 Interstate 390 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map ofWestern New Yorkwith I-390 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route ofI-90 | ||||
| Maintained byNYSDOT | ||||
| Length | 76.06 mi[1](122.41 km) | |||
| Existed | c. 1973[2][3]–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |    I-86/NY 17/Southern Tier ExpresswayinAvoca | |||
| North end |   I-490/NY 390inGates | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New York | |||
| Counties | Steuben,Livingston,Monroe | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
In addition to serving Rochester, I-390 serves as an important connecting route between theRochester metropolitan areaandCorningand the rest of theSouthern Tierof New York. The freeway also serves several smaller communities between Corning and Rochester, including theLivingston Countyvillages ofDansvilleandGeneseo.I-390 effectively replacedUS Route 15(US 15) and parallelsNY 15,US 15's de facto successor, north of Corning. FromLakevillenorth toBrighton,the two routes cross paths four times and are located no more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km) apart along the entire stretch.
The first section of the Genesee Expressway opened in the late 1960s, extending fromWaylandin the east to Dansville in the west. The entirety of the then-proposed highway was designated asNew York State Route 401(NY 401) in 1970 but redesignated as I-390c. 1973.More sections of the freeway opened throughout the 1970s, and I-390 was extended northwestward to cover the southwestern quadrant of the Rochester Outer Loop in 1980 following the elimination ofNY 47.I-390 was completed in the early 1980s.
Route description
editIn its southern sections, which account for most of the highway's mileage, I-390 is a lightly trafficked freeway of two lanes in either direction going through minimally populated rural areas. Closer to Rochester, it becomes wider to accommodate the increased traffic it handles in the city itself.
Steuben and Livingston counties
editI-390 begins as westbound traffic on the concurrent routes ofI-86andNY 17proceeds below the overpass carrying those two routes to the west, at an interchange just east of the village ofAvocainSteuben County.The expressway heads northwest through the narrow valley of theCohocton RivertoCohocton,where the river leaves the expressway and heads north toward thehamletof Atlanta. I-390 climbs gradually as it continues past Cohocton, eventually turning due west as it descends to an interchange withNY 21south ofWayland.[4]This exit is also the southern terminus ofNY 15,which eventually parallels the Interstate further north.[5]
The road climbs again as it makes a gentle bend and widens as it crosses theLivingston Countyline just south ofDansvilleand north ofStony Brook State Park.Descending again, it returns to its northwestern heading. North of the village, it climbs to the west side of the wide valley ofCanaseraga Creek,giving the roadway a view over the area known locally as the Flats.NY 36begins to parallel the highway closely, withNY 63on the far side of the Flats. Just south of the hamlet ofSonyea,NY 36 crosses at a diamond interchange. I-390 turns northeast briefly but resumes its northwest course soon afterward. At this point, the highway follows more level ground, with woods and swamps mostly replacing farmland in the surrounding landscape.[4]
After passing rest areas on either side, I-390 reaches theNY 408exit adjacent to theAmerican Rock Saltmine atHampton Corners.Here, most traffic bound for theBuffaloarea exits to go west toMount Morris,visible across the Flats from the freeway, where it follows NY 36 north. To the immediate east of the exit, NY 408 ends at NY 63, which carries traffic from the Interstate intoGeneseo,thecounty seat.A mile (1.6 km) north of the exit, Canaseraga Creek drains into theGenesee Riveron the road's west side.[4]
The expressway continues north through Livingston County toGeneseo,which I-390 skirts to the south and east. While there is no exit for Geneseo on the part of the freeway that encroaches the village, exit 8, an interchange withUS 20 Alternate(US 20A) east of Geneseo, provides the connection. Also accessible from the junction is the hamlet ofLakeville,situated off to the east at the junction of US 20A and NY 15. I-390 continues on, encountering NY 15 north of Lakeville and southeast ofAvon.From here north toRochester,I-390 and NY 15 follow closely parallel alignments. Both highways meetUS 20andNY 5east of Avon prior to crossing intoMonroe County.[4]
Monroe County
editAs I-390 heads north through the southern extents of the county, the surroundings become more residential and commercial in nature. The freeway meets NY 15 andNY 251inRushahead of an interchange with both theNew York State Thruway(I-90) andNY 253in southernHenrietta.Past the thruway, the transition from the rural landscapes of the Southern Tier andFinger Lakesto residential and commercial areas is completed as I-390 continues into the suburbs of Rochester and the commercial center of Henrietta. Roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from NY 253, I-390 has an exit leading to Hylan Drive, a through street leading toThe Marketplace Mall.Farther north, I-390 meets bothNY 15AandNY 252in equally commercialized areas before enteringBrighton.[4]
Shortly after entering Brighton, I-390 crosses over theErie Canaland meets the southern terminus ofI-590at a largesemi-directional T interchangelocated adjacent to the canal and South Clinton Avenue. The latter of the two passes through the eastern half of the junction, crossing over I-590 but passing under the ramps connecting I-590 south to I-390 south and I-390 north to I-590 north. Past the exit, I-390 turns to the west, joining theRochester Outer Loopand crossing back over the canal ahead of an interchange with NY 15 and NY 15A. After passing under NY 15, the freeway begins to run along the southern edge of the Erie Canal, here delimiting the southern city limits of Rochester. The canal and I-390 run side by side for just over one mile (1.6 km) to the Genesee River, where I-390 veers slightly to the west as it meetsNY 383at apartial cloverleaf interchange.[4]
For the next mile (1.6 km), I-390 follows a more northwesterly alignment along the northeastern edge of theGreater Rochester International Airportgrounds. It meets Brooks Avenue (NY 204) at the northern edge of the grounds before leaving the airport area and curving more to the north, matching changes in the Erie Canal's alignment as both entities proceed around the southwestern edge of the city. Now inGates,I-390 crosses over theRochester and Southern Railroadjust south of another partial cloverleaf interchange withNY 33A.The freeway continues on, passing under theCSX Transportation-ownedRochester SubdivisionandNY 33before connecting toI-490at a complex interchange roughly 0.25 miles (0.40 km) west of the canal and the Rochester city limits. I-390 ends here; however, the freeway continues northward towardGreeceasNY 390.[4]
History
editConstruction on alimited-access highwaybetweenWaylandandDansvillebeganc. 1966.[6]The highway opened to trafficc. 1968as a realignment ofNY 245.[7][8]On January 1, 1970, the expressway became part of NY 401, a designation that also extended south to the town ofAvocaand north to the city ofRochesteralong the Genesee Expressway,[9]a proposed freeway utilizing theUS 15corridor.[10]NY 401 was added to theInterstate Highway Systemand redesignated I-390c. 1973.[2][3]As initially planned, I-390 would continue north into Downtown Rochester and end atI-490while the entirety of theRochester Outer Loopsouth of I-490 would becomeI-590.[11][12]
Construction beganc. 1974on the portion of I-390 betweenNY 17near the village ofAvocaandNY 21south of Wayland.[3][13]It opened to trafficc. 1976.[6]By 1977, work had begun on the leg betweenNY 251inRushand theNew York State Thruway(I-90) inHenrietta.[12]This section was completed by 1981, as were the Dansville–Groveland(NY 36),Avon–Rush, and thruway–Hylan Drive segments.[6][14]The remainder of I-390 inMonroe Countyup to the modern I-390/I-590 interchange was builtc. 1981,and the final gap in the expressway from NY 36 to US 20 inLivingston Countyopenedc. 1982.[6]
By the late 1970s, in the face of community opposition, the proposed extension of I-390 into Downtown Rochester was scrapped.[15]Instead, the state of New York began to look into the possibility of changing the designations that were assigned to the outer loop. In one proposal submitted to theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officialsin the late 1970s, I-590 would be truncated to begin at the then-proposed junction with I-390 inBrighton.The rest of the loop south of I-490, meanwhile, would become part of an extended I-390, which would continue north past I-490 to the outer loop's northwestern end at theLake Ontario State Parkway.NY 47,[16]the then-current designation for much of the outer loop,[17]would be eliminated.[16]
Most of the plans went into effect when the NY 47 designation was eliminated on March 18, 1980.[18]The southern half of the outer loop was signed as planned; however, I-390 and I-590 were modified to end at their junctions with I-490.[19]While NY 47 was officially assigned to the entirety of the outer loop prior to its removal,[9]only the portion fromNY 383north to I-490 was actually once part of NY 47.[14]
On February 10, 2008, whiteout conditions caused a 36-car pileup near the Scottsville Road exit, which led to a 17-year-old girl's death. Firefighters had to climb over cars and cut off roofs to get to people. More than 20 people were taken to the hospital.[20]
On July 17, 2011, a tour bus heading northbound fromWashington DCtoNiagara Fallscrashed between theAvocaandCohoctonexits, killing two and injuring at least 35 others. Preliminary investigation listed a blown-out tire as a possible cause of the crash.[21][22][23]
Future
editAs the successor toUS 15inWestern New York,it has been suggested that I-390 be added to the routes of eitherI-99orI-83as recently as 2002, with I-99's northern completed segment currently sharing the US 15 routing up toCorning,24 miles (39 km) south of I-390's current southern terminus. However, no official moves have been forwarded to fulfill this.[citation needed]
Exit list
edit| County | Location | mi[5] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steuben | Town of Avoca | 0.00 | 0.00 | – |    I-86east /NY 17east /Southern Tier Expresswayeast –Binghamton | Southern terminus |
| – |    I-86west /NY 17west /Southern Tier Expresswaywest –Jamestown | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; exit 36 on I-86 | ||||
| 2.04 | 3.28 | 1 |   ToNY 415–Avoca | Access viaNY 961J | ||
| Town of Cohocton | 11.12 | 17.90 | 2 | ToNY 415–Cohocton,Naples | Access viaNY 962D | |
| Town of Wayland | 16.75 | 26.96 | 3 |    NY 15north /NY 21–Wayland | ||
| Livingston | North Dansville | 22.84 | 36.76 | 4 |  NY 36–Dansville,Hornell | |
| 24.19 | 38.93 | 5 | NY 36–Dansville,Airport | |||
| Groveland | 32.96 | 53.04 | 6 | NY 36–Mount Morris,Letchworth State Park,Sonyea | Signed for Mount Morris/Letchworth Park northbound, Sonya southbound | |
| 38.77 | 62.39 | 7 |   NY 63/NY 408–Geneseo,Mount Morris,Letchworth State Park | Signed for Geneseo northbound, Mount Morris/Letchworth Park southbound | ||
| Town of Geneseo | 48.05 | 77.33 | 8 |  US 20A–Lakeville,Conesus Lake,Geneseo | Signed for Lakeville/Conesus Lake northbound, Geneseo southbound | |
| Town of Avon | 51.50 | 82.88 | 9 | NY 15–Avon,Lakeville,Conesus Lake | Signed for Avon northbound, Lakeville/Conesus Lake southbound | |
| 54.59 | 87.85 | 10 |   US 20/NY 5–Avon,Lima | |||
| Monroe | Rush | 61.94 | 99.68 | 11 |  NY 15/NY 251–Rush,Scottsville | |
| Henrietta | 65.86 | 105.99 | 12 |    I-90/New York Thruway/NY 253(Lehigh Station Road) –Albany,Buffalo | Signed as exits 12B (I-90) and 12A (NY 253) southbound; exit 46 on I-90 / Thruway | |
| 67.28 | 108.28 | 13 | Hylan Drive –Mall | |||
| 68.37 | 110.03 | 14 |   NY 15A(East Henrietta Road) /NY 252(Jefferson Road) | Signed as exits 14B (NY 15A) and 14A (NY 252) southbound; servesRochester Institute of Technology | ||
| Henrietta–Brighton town line | 15B | Brighton–Henrietta Townline Road | Southbound exit only; servesMonroe Community College | |||
| Brighton | 70.29 | 113.12 | 15A |   I-590north –Downtown Rochester,Irondequoit | Signed as exit 15 northbound; signed for Rochester northbound, Irondequoit southbound | |
| 71.69 | 115.37 | 16 | NY 15(West Henrietta Road) /NY 15A(East Henrietta Road) | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 16B (NY 15A north) and 16A (NY 15/NY 15A south) | ||
| Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as exits 16B (NY 15A) and 16A (NY 15) | ||||||
| – | Kendrick Road | Northbound entrance only; opened September 2014 | ||||
| Chili | 73.09 | 117.63 | 17 |  NY 383(Scottsville Road) | Serves Rochester Institute of Technology andUniversity of Rochester | |
| Rochester–Gatesline | 73.80 | 118.77 | 18 |  NY 204(Brooks Avenue) –Airport | Signed as exits 18A (east) and 18B (west) | |
| Gates | 74.51 | 119.91 | 19 |  NY 33A(Chili Avenue) | ||
| 75.86 | 122.08 | 20 | I-490–Rochester,Buffalo | Signed as exits 20A (east) and 20B (west); exit 9B on I-490 | ||
| – | NY 390north –Greece | Continuation north | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
See also
edit
- New York State Route 390for exits 21–27
References
edit- ^Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022)."Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways".FHWA Route Log and Finder List.Federal Highway Administration.RetrievedDecember 3,2022.
- ^abEastern United States(Map) (1972–73 ed.). Cartography byGeneral Drafting.Exxon.1972.
- ^abcNew York(Map) (1973 ed.). Cartography byH.M. Gousha Company.Shell Oil Company.1973.
- ^abcdefgMicrosoft;Nokia."overview map of I-390"(Map).Bing Maps.Microsoft.RetrievedAugust 14,2015.
- ^ab"2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State"(PDF).New York State Department of Transportation.June 16, 2009. pp. 225–226. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 27, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 1,2010.
- ^abcdNational Bridge Inventory,a database compiled by theUnited States Department of TransportationFederal Highway Administration,available at www.nationalbridges.com. Accessed August 13, 2007.
- ^Gousha Road Atlas (northern Mid-Atlantic)(Map). H.M. Gousha Company. 1967. p. 22.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2007.RetrievedMay 24,2009.
- ^New York(Map) (1969–70 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting.Esso.1968.
- ^abState of New York Department of Transportation(January 1, 1970).Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on March 26, 2009.RetrievedMay 24,2009.
- ^New York State Highways(Map). Cartography byRand McNally and Company.State of New York Department of Commerce.1969.
- ^Faber, Harold (April 9, 1978). "2 Disputed Legs Delay Completion of New York Interstate System".The New York Times.p. 50.
- ^abNew York(Map) (1977–78 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1977.
- ^New York and New Jersey Tourgide Map(Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company.Gulf Oil Company.1974.
- ^abI Love New YorkTourism Map(Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company.State of New York.1981.
- ^"Swillburg to celebrate highway project's defeat".Democrat and Chronicle.Rochester, NY. October 7, 2015.
- ^ab"Numbering State Trunk Highways: A Survey of Methods Used by State DOTs – Appendix A"(PDF).Wisconsin Department of Transportation.April 16, 2008. pp. 62–68. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on November 13, 2010.RetrievedNovember 18,2010.
- ^New York(Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1979.
- ^New York State Department of Transportation(January 2017).Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycling Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on January 10, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 9,2017.
- ^New York(Map). Rand McNally and Company. 1985.ISBN0-528-91040-X.
- ^"36-car accident on 390, one dead".WHEC-TV.Rochester, NY. February 10, 2008.
- ^"Two people are dead following a tour bus crash on I-390 near Bath".Democrat and Chronicle.Rochester, NY. July 17, 2011.
- ^Weil, Martin (July 17, 2011)."Tour bus from D.C. crashes in N.Y.; 2 dead".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 12,2020.
- ^"Tire blowout eyed in fatal NY bus crash".www.cbsnews.com.July 18, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 12,2020.
External links
edit
- Interstate 390 atAlps' Roads•New York Routes•Upstate New York Roads