U.S. Route 20A(US 20A) is an east–westalternate routeofUS 20that extends for 83.59 miles (134.53 km) across thewestern portionofNew Yorkin the United States. It leaves US 20 inHamburg,asuburbofBuffalo,and rejoins it inEast Bloomfieldabout five miles (8.0 km) west ofCanandaigua,the county seat ofOntario County.The western terminus is situated just northeast of the intersection of US 20 andUS 62and west ofHighmark Stadium.At its east end, US 20A also meetsNew York State Route 5(NY 5) andNY 64.Most of the route is known asBig Tree Road;outside Highmark Stadium, the highway is known as theTimothy J. Russert Highwayin memory of Buffalo nativeTim Russert.
 U.S. Route 20A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 20A highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Auxiliary route ofUS 20 | ||||
| Maintained byNYSDOT | ||||
| Length | 83.59 mi[1](134.53 km) | |||
| Existed | c. 1939[2][3]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  US 20inHamburg | |||
 US 219inOrchard Park NY 400inEast Aurora NY 19inWarsaw I-390nearGeneseo | ||||
| East end |   US 20/NY 5/NY 64inEast Bloomfield | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New York | |||
| Counties | Erie,Wyoming,Livingston,Ontario | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
While the main line of US 20 takes a direct path between Hamburg, Buffalo, and East Bloomfield viaAvon,US 20A veers to the south to serve several villages andhamlets,including the villages ofGeneseoandWarsaw.The town ofAttica,famous for theAttica Prison riotof 1971, lies between US 20 and US 20A. As the route heads east, US 20A connects to several north–south freeways, such asNY 400outside ofEast AuroraandInterstate 390(I-390) between Geneseo andLakeville.Outside of the communities that dot the highway, US 20A is a two-lane, rural highway.
The highway carried several designations prior to becoming US 20Ac. 1939.In the mid-1920s, the section of modern US 20A from East Aurora to Lakeville was part ofNew York State Route 35(NY 35). US 20 was first signed in New York in 1927, occupying the piece of NY 35 between East Aurora and Geneseo and all of what is now US 20A west of East Aurora upon assignment. It was altered to also use the Geneseo–Lakeville section of former NY 35 in the early 1930s. At the time, the section of current US 20A between US 20 andBristolwas designated asNY 254.US 20 was realigned onto its current alignment between Hamburg and Avonc. 1938,and US 20A was assigned to US 20's former routing west of Lakeville and all of NY 254 by the following year.
Route description
editBuffalo area
editUS 20A separates from US 20 just northeast of an intersection locally known as "Seven Corners" in the town ofHamburg.The route heads east through theBuffalosuburbs on Big Tree Road, entering the town ofOrchard Parkand passing south of the southern campus ofSUNY Erie.[citation needed]At Abbott Road, US 20A becomes the "Timothy J. Russert Highway", named forBuffalonativeTim Russert.[4]The route continues on, passing south ofHighmark Stadiumbefore changing back to Big Tree Road at California Road.[citation needed][4]Not far to the east, US 20A meetsUS 219(Southern Expressway) at an interchange. Past US 219, the route enters the village ofOrchard Park,becoming Quaker Street and intersecting theconcurrentroutes ofNY 240andNY 277in the center of the community.[citation needed]
Outside of the village, US 20A becomes Quaker Road, passing through slightly less developed areas as it progresses eastward. Midway between Orchard Park village andEast Aurora,US 20A intersects the southern terminus ofNY 187(Transit Road) at the Orchard Park–Auroratown line. Transit Road, however, continues south for one mile (1.6 km) asCounty Route 553(CR 553). Farther east, US 20A runs south ofCazenovia Creekfor two miles (3.2 km) across open terrain prior to crossing the creek and entering the densely populated village of East Aurora.[citation needed]
The route enters East Aurora on Hamburg Street, running parallel to a branch of Cazenovia Creek for a half-mile (0.80 km) to Buffalo Street. Here, US 20A meets the overlapping routes ofNY 16andNY 78at atraffic circlein the village's primary business district. The three routes come together, becoming Main Street and passing by theFillmore Houseas it proceeds through the center of the village. At Olean Street, one mile (1.6 km) east of the circle in East Aurora's central business district, NY 16 turns right, continuing south towardPennsylvania.US 20A and NY 78 remain concurrent as they exit the village and meetNY 400(Aurora Expressway) on the eastern edge.[citation needed]
East Aurora to Warsaw
editEast of NY 400, US 20A and NY 78 become Big Tree Road once more as the highway leaves the Buffalo suburbs and passes through the rural eastern portion ofErie County.Near theWaleshamlet of Wales Center, NY 78 departs US 20A on Strykersville Road, ending the four-mile (6.4 km) overlap. In Wales Center itself, US 20A intersects Four Rod Road,[citation needed]once designated asNY 358[5]and now part ofCR 356.Past the hamlet, US 20A deviates from its linear east–west alignment, swerving to the south on a newer routing of Big Tree Road before reuniting with its original routing one mile (1.6 km) to the east. Two miles (3.2 km) ahead, US 20A exits Erie County and enters the equally ruralWyoming Countytown ofSheldon.[citation needed]
In Sheldon, US 20A intersectsNY 77near Sheldon Center andNY 98inVarysburg,forming a concurrency with the latter into the adjacent town ofOrangeville.Upon crossing the town line, the two routes split, with NY 98 proceeding southwest toJava.US 20A continues southeast from NY 98 on a linear alignment, intersecting the southern terminus ofNY 238at Halls Corner, a small hamlet located near the Orangeville–Warsawtown line. Shortly after passing NY 238, US 20A makes a turn to the east as it enters Warsaw. Roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the town line, US 20A descends into the Oatka Valley, a large ravine containingOatka Creekand the entirety of theWarsaw.Now named Buffalo Street, US 20A heads east–west across the village, intersectingNY 19,one of two state routes to directly connectLake Ontariowith thePennsylvania state line,at the center of Warsaw.[citation needed]
Past the NY 19 junction, US 20A continues east along Buffalo Street to the eastern edge of the village and the valley, where the route turns a full 90 degrees to the north to climb the side of the Oatka Valley.[citation needed]The route ascends approximately 300 feet (91 m),[6]passing under theRochester and Southern Railroad(RSR)—which runs along the foot of the gorge—before exiting the valley and returning to an east–west alignment as it heads towardPerryand points east.[citation needed]All oversize trucks are prohibited from using the section of US 20A between NY 19 and Minor Road at the top of the valley due to the steep grade of the hill and the sharp curve at the bottom.[7]
Warsaw to Geneseo
editOutside of the Oatka Valley, US 20A heads east through the remainder of the town of Warsaw prior to entering the town of Perry. The route servesPerry–Warsaw Airporton its way to Perry Center, a small hamlet situated directly north of the village ofPerry,where US 20A intersectsNY 246.The portion of US 20A in Perry is otherwise uneventful, and the route quietly passes into theLivingston Countytown ofLeicester2.5 miles (4.0 km) later. After another one mile (1.6 km) of rural surroundings, US 20A meetsNY 39at a junction approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the village ofLeicester.The two routes converge, following Leicester Road northeast to the village, where the highway's name shifts to Main Street upon entering the village limits.[citation needed]
East of agrade crossingwith theGenesee and Wyoming Railroadsubdivision of the RSR, US 20A and NY 39 connect toNY 36at York Road. NY 36 briefly overlaps with US 20A and NY 39 for one block before heading to the south via Mount Morris Road at the village center. US 20A and NY 39 continue on, leaving Leicester on as Cuylerville Road, named forthe communitylocated directly northeast of Leicester. The routes pass in and out of Cuylerville and head eastward into a wide valley, crossing Beards Creek and theGenesee River.At the eastern bank of the latter, the highway crosses into the town ofGeneseo.[citation needed]
On the other side of the Genesee River, US 20A and NY 39 rise in elevation once more as they head to the northeast, climbing the eastern edge of the gully to meetNY 63at the valley's eastern edge. After a brief concurrency with US 20A and NY 39, NY 63 splits off to the west, running alongside the western edge of the nearbyState University of New York at Geneseocampus. In contrast, US 20A and NY 39 form a portion of the eastern edge of the campus between NY 63 andMary JemisonDrive in the village ofGeneseo.At the latter intersection, US 20A and NY 39 turn east onto South Street. After just one block, the US 20A/NY 39 overlap comes to an end as NY 39 follows Main Street north out of Geneseo towardAvon.[citation needed]
US 20A continues east through Geneseo before taking on a more northeasterly alignment outside of the village. At this point, the highway becomes Lakeville Road for theConesus Lakecommunity to the northeast. The route proceeds across open terrain to the western outskirts ofLakeville,where US 20A connects toI-390at exit 8. Past the expressway, US 20A continues on a northeast alignment—albeit more eastern than northern—as it intersectsNY 256and enters both the town ofLivoniaand the hamlet of Lakeville.[citation needed]
Finger Lakes
edit
As Big Tree Road once more, US 20A acts as the major east–west thoroughfare for Lakeville, connecting the hamlet to I-390 in the west to the village ofLivoniato the east. In the center of Lakeville, US 20A intersects the north–southNY 15.The two routes converge on Big Tree Road, following the roadway around the northern tip of Conesus Lake and southeastward through the rural landscape between Lakeville and Livonia. In Livonia, Big Tree Road continues to the southeast as Big Tree Street; however, US 20A and NY 15 leave Big Tree Road to follow Main Street instead. NY 15 remains on US 20A for one more block to the center of Livonia, at which point it continues southward on Commercial Street towardConesuswhile US 20A heads east on Main Street and out of the village as Richmond Mills Road.[citation needed]
For the next 2.5 miles (4.0 km), US 20A loosely parallels Big Tree Road, located about one mile (1.6 km) to the south. At a rural junction known as Bosley Corner, US 20A merges with the north–southNY 15Aand follows NY 15A south toward the hamlet ofHemlock.While concurrent with NY 15A, US 20A crosses Big Tree Road at the midpoint of the concurrency. The two routes proceed through Hemlock before splitting south of the community. Here, US 20A breaks from NY 15A and continues east on Honeoye Road into theOntario Countytown ofRichmond.[citation needed]
About 2.5 miles (4.0 km) into the sparsely developed town, US 20A reconnects to Big Tree Road at Curtis Corner. The route, however, becomes Main Street for the hamlet ofHoneoyea short distance to the east. US 20A runs east–west through the small yet highly developed community, crossingHoneoye Creekand passing north ofHoneoye Lake.It leaves the hamlet soon after, turning to the northeast and traversing a series of small hills as it passes into the town ofBristolas Honeoye Road once again. Roughly four miles (6.4 km) from the town line, US 20A intersectsNY 64in theBristol Valley.US 20A turns north onto NY 64, following the state route out of the valley and into the town ofEast Bloomfield,where US 20A ends four miles (6.4 km) later at an intersection with US 20 and NY 5. The section of US 20A that overlaps NY 64 was signed north–south, matching NY 64's direction, however, the US 20A north–south tabs were replaced by east–west tabs between 2010 and 2012, but still the north–south tabs are now for NY 64 shields only. NY 64 continues west from the junction on US 20 and NY 5.[citation needed]
History
editOrigins and designation
editIn 1908, theNew York State Legislatureestablished a statewidelegislative routesystem that initially consisted of 37unsignedroutes. The portion of what is now US 20A between Four Rod Road inWalesandNY 98inSheldonwas included in Route 19, a highway that extended fromBuffalotoBatavia.Two smaller segments of modern US 20A—the sectionsconcurrenttoNY 16inEast AuroraandNY 64inOntario County—became part of Route 17 and Route 14, respectively.[8][9]When the first set of posted routes inNew Yorkwere assigned in 1924, the entirety of legislative Route 17 was designated as part ofNY 16while the portion of modern US 20A betweenLakevilleandLivoniabecame part ofNY 4.By 1926, the section of what is now US 20A between NY 16 in East Aurora and NY 4 in Lakeville was designated as part of NY 35, which initially continued northwest to Buffalo by way of an overlap with NY 16 and followed NY 4 north from Lakeville toNY 5inEast Avon.[10][11]
NY 35 was largely replaced byUS 20whenU.S. Highwayswere first signed in New York in 1927. At the time, US 20 entered the Buffalo area on modern NY 5 and followed Big Tree Road and current US 20A east to East Aurora, where it overlapped NY 16 to reach the former routing of NY 35. From there, it continued east over former NY 35 toGeneseobefore proceeding toAvonon modernNY 39.Meanwhile, NY 4 was renumbered toNY 2to eliminate numerical duplication with the newUS 4in theCapital District.[12]The portion of former NY 35 between Geneseo and Lakeville went unnumbered[13]until the1930 state highway renumberingwhen it became the westernmost portion of NY 254, an east–west highway that initially extended eastward along modern US 20A[14]andCR 32to a junction withNY 21west ofCanandaigua.[15]NY 254 was truncated westward to NY 64 inBristolby the following year.[16]
US 20 was realigned between Geneseo and East Avonc. 1931to follow NY 254 east to Lakeville, where it turned north to follow NY 2 to East Avon. NY 254 was truncated to the east end of its former overlap with NY 2 inLivoniaas a result while US 20's former routing between Geneseo and Avon becameNY 20D.[14][16]US 20 was altered againc. 1938to follow its modern alignment betweenHamburgand East Avon. Its former routing between Hamburg and Geneseo became part of the new NY 20A, which also continued north to Avon over NY 20D. The remainder of US 20's old routing between Geneseo and Lakeville became part of a reextended NY 254.[2][17]US 20A was established by the following year, replacing NY 20A west of Geneseo and NY 254 from Geneseo to Bristol. The new highway also followed NY 64 northward toEast Bloomfieldin order to rejoin US 20 in thehamletof South Bloomfield. NY 254 was reassigned to the Geneseo–Avon portion of NY 20A;[3]however, it was supplanted by an extended NY 39c. 1940.[3][18]
Other developments
edit
On the morning of March 12, 1994, a large section of the roof in the southern end of theRetsof Salt Minecollapsed. The collapsed portion of the mine was located near the hamlet ofCuylerville,located on US 20A just south of the mine.[19]One day before the collapse, warning signs were erected at the bridge carrying US 20A over nearby Beards Creek due to the presence of bumps in the pavement along the bridge approaches. Over the next few weeks, two large sinkholes opened on the surface above the mine, one of them located just south of the US 20A bridge over Beards Creek. This sinkhole led to the collapse of a small area of US 20A east of the creek and the closure and, ultimately, collapse of the bridge over the creek.[20]As a result, a detour was installed betweenLeicesterand Geneseo.[21]No construction was done on the area for a number of years while a court battle was fought over whether Retsof should reimburse theNew York State Department of Transportationto fix the road.[22]The road and new bridge were fixed and reopened in the late 1990s.[23]
On June 18, 2008, a bill seeking to rename the part of US 20A from Abbott Road to California Road as the "Timothy J. Russert Highway" was introduced in theU.S. Senate.The bill, sponsored by SenatorsChuck SchumerandHillary Clintonalong with RepresentativeBrian Higgins,was passed by both theHouseand the Senate and was signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bushon July 23, 2008. The designation is in memory of Buffalo nativeTim Russert,the long-time host of NBC'sMeet the Presswho died on June 13, 2008.[4]
Major intersections
edit| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | Town of Hamburg | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 20 | Western terminus |
| Town of Orchard Park | 2.40 | 3.86 | US 219–Springville,Buffalo | ||
| Village of Orchard Park | 3.53 | 5.68 |   NY 240/NY 277 | ||
| Orchard Park–Aurora town line | 5.99 | 9.64 |   NY 187north | Southern terminus of NY 187 | |
| East Aurora | 9.68 | 15.58 |   NY 16north /NY 78north | Western terminus ofconcurrencywith NY 16 / NY 78 | |
| 10.74 | 17.28 |  NY 16south | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 16 | ||
| Aurora | 11.49 | 18.49 | NY 400north –Buffalo | No access to NY 400 south; no access from NY 400 north to US 20A | |
| Wales | 13.73 | 22.10 | NY 78south –Strykersville | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 78 | |
| Wyoming | Sheldon | 22.09 | 35.55 |  NY 77–Bennington Center,Java Center | |
| 26.43 | 42.53 |  NY 98north –Attica | Western terminus of concurrency with NY 98;hamletofVarysburg | ||
| Orangeville | 27.04 | 43.52 | NY 98south –North Java | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 98 | |
| 32.72 | 52.66 |  NY 238north –Attica | Southern terminus of NY 238; hamlet of Halls Corner | ||
| Village of Warsaw | 35.98 | 57.90 | NY 19 | ||
| Town of Perry | 42.80 | 68.88 |  NY 246–Pavilion,Perry | ||
| Livingston | Town of Leicester | 46.75 | 75.24 |       NY 39west /CR 4east /CR 62south –Perry | Western terminus of concurrency with NY 39 |
| Village of Leicester | 49.04 | 78.92 |  NY 36north –Caledonia | Western terminus of concurrency with NY 36 | |
| 49.18 | 79.15 |  NY 36south toI-390–Mount Morris,Letchworth State Park | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 36 | ||
| Town of Geneseo | 52.92 | 85.17 |  NY 63south –Mount Morris,Dansville | Southern terminus of concurrency with NY 63 | |
| 53.23 | 85.67 | NY 63north –Batavia | Northern terminus of concurrency with NY 63; no eastbound access from NY 63 south | ||
| Village of Geneseo | 53.83 | 86.63 |  ToNY 63north via Mary Jemison Drive (NY 942D) | Eastern terminus of unsigned NY 942D; to NY 63 north only signed westbound | |
| 53.93 | 86.79 |  NY 39east –Avon | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 39 | ||
| Town of Geneseo | 58.81 | 94.65 | I-390–Corning,Rochester | Exit 8 on I-390 | |
| Geneseo–Livonia town line | 60.04 | 96.63 |  NY 256(West Lake Road) –Conesus Lake | ||
| Town of Livonia | 60.57 | 97.48 |  NY 15north | Western terminus of US 20A / NY 15 overlap; hamlet ofLakeville | |
| Village of Livonia | 62.76 | 101.00 | NY 15south | Eastern terminus of concurrency with NY 15 | |
| Town of Livonia | 65.76 | 105.83 |   NY 15Anorth /CR 41east –Lima,Rochester | Northern terminus of concurrency with NY 15A | |
| 67.81 | 109.13 | NY 15Asouth –Springwater | Southern terminus of concurrency with NY 15A; hamlet ofHemlock | ||
| Ontario | Bristol | 79.83 | 128.47 | NY 64south –Naples | Southern terminus of concurrency with NY 64 |
| East Bloomfield | 83.59 | 134.53 | US 20/NY 5/NY 64north | Eastern terminus; northern terminus of concurrency with NY 64 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ab"2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State"(PDF).New York State Department of Transportation.June 16, 2009. pp. 65–66.RetrievedJanuary 31,2010.
- ^abNew York Road Map for 1938(Map). Cartography byGeneral Drafting.Esso.1938.
- ^abcNew York(Map). Cartography by General Drafting.Standard Oil Company.1939.
- ^abcS. 3145,110th Congress, 2nd Session.
- ^New York(Map) (1977–78 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting.Exxon.1977.
- ^Warsaw Quadrangle – New York – Wyoming Co(Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic).United States Geological Survey.1976.RetrievedDecember 1,2010.
- ^"Construction and Other Restrictions Report – Sorted by Route"(PDF).New York State Department of Transportation. November 29, 2010.RetrievedDecember 1,2010.
- ^State of New York Department of Highways (1909).The Highway Law.Albany, NY:J. B. Lyon Company. pp. 53–65.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^New York State Department of Highways (1920).Report of the State Commissioner of Highways.Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company. pp.522,526, 528.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^"New York's Main Highways Designated by Numbers".The New York Times.December 21, 1924. p. XX9.
- ^Official Map Showing State Highways and other important roads(Map). Cartography byRand McNally and Company.State of New York Department of Public Works.1926.
- ^Automobile Blue Book.Vol. 1 (1927 ed.). Chicago: Automobile Blue Book, Inc. 1927.This edition shows U.S. Routes as they were first officially signed in 1927.
- ^New York in Soconyland(Map). Cartography by General Drafting.Standard Oil Company of New York.1929.
- ^abRoad Map of New York(Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Standard Oil Company of New York. 1930.
- ^Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book,1930–31 and 1931–32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930–31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the1930 renumbering
- ^abNew York(Map). Cartography byH.M. Gousha Company.Kendall Refining Company.1931.
- ^New York(Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Standard Oil Company. 1937.
- ^New York Info-Map(Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company.Gulf Oil Company.1940.
- ^Revkin, Andrew C. (December 10, 1995)."Wanted: A New Salt Mine; One-Industry Town Presses for State Aid".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^Galloway, Devin; Jones, David R.; Ingebritsen, S.E., eds. (1999). "The Retsof Salt Mine Collapse".Land subsidence in the United States.United States Geological Survey.ISBN0-607-92696-1.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^"Salt of the Earth, Act 3".Lake & Valley Clarion.No. 10th Anniversary Edition. Clarion Publications, Inc. May 1999.RetrievedJuly 28,2014.
Ground subsidence had caused a temporary closing of the detour Route 20A routing around Cuylerville. The detour itself had been in effect since the collapse, when the Little Beards Creek bridge became impassable.
- ^"Salt of the Earth, Act 4".Lake & Valley Clarion.No. 10th Anniversary Edition. Clarion Publications, Inc. May 1999.RetrievedJuly 28,2014.
The June 6, 1996 Clarion stated that Akzo would be paying the costs of replacing the Little Beards Creek bridge on Rt. 20A.
- ^Baughn, James."Uglybridges.com".uglybridges.com.RetrievedJuly 28,2014.
External links
edit
- U.S. Route 20A atAlps' Roads•New York Routes