I-690  New York (link)

14.19 miles [1]; from I-90 west of Onondaga Lake, into Syracuse, ending at I-481 in East Syracuse. Opened in early 1970s.

When the interchange with I-90 was moved 2 miles north in 1989, extending I-690, the exits were renumbered. [2]

When the "complicated" interchange with I-81 in Syracuse opened, brochures were mailed to all area residents on how to navigate it. [2]

Extending I-690 eastward?

The interchange with I-481 has some ramps not used for motorists (they currently provide access to a NYSDOT maintenance yard.) It makes you wonder: was there originally a plan to extend I-690 east of there?

As it turns out, there were at least three proposals, none of them approved. They include: [4]

• extend to NY 257, and provide a new connector to NY 5 along an abandoned railway ROW into the Village of Fayetteville (1982)
• extend as a four-lane surface arterial with signalized intersections, a la NY 787 in Cohoes (1987)
• several proposals, but an emphasis on the extension to NY 257 (1993)

An underlying trend in the proposals: they do not include any connection back to the Thruway (Interstate 90). [4]

I-690 has a traffic light that's activated during the 2-week New York State Fair to allow shuttle buses to cross from parking on the north side to the fairgrounds on the south. [3] (Contrary to previous information, pedestrians are not allowed to cross here.)

See also:

• Syracuse Historical Overview (Doug Kerr)
• Nearby 3di's: I-481

Sources

1. Route Log and Finder List - Interstate Highways, FHWA, Oct. 31, 2002.
2. J. P. Wing (New York US and Interstate Routes)
3. Naughton, Peter. "3di's." Personal email, Nov. 2, 2000.
4. Murphy, Sean. "I-690 and I-86." Personal email, July 30, 2001.