Byway to superhighway: Route 17 hits the gas
Route 17 starts in Pennsylvania and winds to Exit 16 in Orange County where it meets the New York State Thruway. The former two-lane highway that once brought millions of visitors to the Borscht Belt is now undergoing a radical makeover from country road to an Interstate thanks to the state Dept. of Transportation and local funding that has gone into the project along the way.
The Hudson Valley to Pennsylvania corridor has been touted as a vital business artery that will jumpstart industry in the region and make commuting less miserable for the millions who have moved here since the original Route 17 was built during the Great Depression.
Connecting with I-87, which is in the final stages of linking with Interstate 84 in Newburgh, the projected $405 million upgrade will turn Route 17 into I-86. Federal input was unavailable at press time.
Construction commenced on the conversion more than a decade ago. While 195 miles are Interstate ready, funds have dried up along with the rest of the economy.
As of now, two sites are fully funded: Exit 120 in Wallkill and Exit 131 in Woodbury. Work is under way at both locations, with road widening and new toll booths being installed at the Route 17-Thruway connecting point at Exit 131
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