NY 32
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New York State Route 32 (NY 32) is a north–south
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
that extends for through the
Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
and
Capital District A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any poli ...
regions of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few
divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numb ...
and no
limited-access A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
sections. From Harriman to Albany, it is closely parallel to Interstate 87 (I-87) and U.S. Route 9W (US 9W), overlapping with the latter in several places. NY 32 begins at NY 17 on the outskirts of the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
in
Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...
just outside Harriman, and ends at NY 196 east of
Hudson Falls Hudson Falls (formerly Sandy Hill) is a village located in Washington County, New York, United States. The village is in the southwest of the town of Kingsbury, on U.S. Route 4. Hudson Falls is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
just south of the
Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...
. In between, the road passes through the cities of Newburgh, Kingston, Albany, Cohoes, and
Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...
. Outside of the cities, it offers views of the
Hudson Highlands The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York state lying primarily in Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County on its west. They continue somewhat to the south in Westchester County and Rockland County ...
,
Shawangunk Ridge The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of the border with New Jersey ...
,
Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...
, and, during an overlap with US 4 north of Albany, the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
. The roads now making up the highway were originally part of several privately maintained turnpikes, which fostered settlements along the corridor. Once part of the former NY 58, it has been NY 32 since
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
. Only one of three letter-suffixed
spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...
s remains.


Route description

Maintenance of NY 32 is split between the
New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
(NYSDOT) and the highway departments of several different jurisdictions. Within the cities of Newburgh and Watervliet, the route is entirely city-maintained. In four other cities— Albany, Cohoes,
Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...
, and Kingston—NY 32 is mostly locally maintained. The piece of the route in the city of Mechanicville, meanwhile, is city-maintained north of Frances Street, a local street four blocks south of NY 67. One last locally maintained section exists in the Albany suburb of
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, where the route is county-maintained between Feura Bush Road and the Delmar Bypass. This section is co-signed as County Route 52 (CR 52), which continues northwest of NY 32 to a junction with
NY 140 New York State Route 140 (NY 140) is an east–west state highway located entirely within the town of Bethlehem in Albany County, New York, in the United States. The highway runs for from a roundabout with NY 85 near the hamlet ...
near
Slingerlands Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The S ...
.


Harriman to Newburgh

NY 32 begins where NY 17 leaves the Quickway overpass west of the
New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
toll barrier, just north of the Harriman village line in Woodbury. To the east is
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is an outlet center located in Central Valley, New York. The center is owned by Premium Outlets, a subsidiary of Simon Property Group, and takes its name from the town in which it is located. Opened in late 1985, ...
, across from Central Valley Elementary School of the Monroe–Woodbury Central School District. Beyond the mall, site of many major
traffic jam Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...
s, NY 32 descends into downtown Central Valley. north is another of the Town of Woodbury's hamlets, Highland Mills. Beyond the Rushmore Memorial Library at the north end of the hamlet the road bends slightly east upon reaching the southeastern foot of
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
's highest peak,
Schunemunk Mountain Schunemunk Mountain (also spelled Schunnemunk) is the highest mountain in Orange County, New York. The summit is located in the town of Blooming Grove, with other portions in Cornwall and Woodbury. The community of Mountain Lodge Park is bu ...
. Shortly after Highland Mills, the
Port Jervis Line The Port Jervis Line is a predominantly single-track commuter rail line running between Suffern and Port Jervis, in the U.S. state of New York. At Suffern, the line continues south into New Jersey as NJ Transit's Main Line. The line is operate ...
, operated by
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
, crosses over on a high
trestle ATLAS-I (Air Force Weapons Lab Transmission-Line Aircraft Simulator), better known as Trestle, was a unique electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generation and testing apparatus built between 1972 and 1980 during the Cold War at Sandia National Laborato ...
. After crossing over Woodbury Creek and under the Thruway, NY 32 runs along the eastern side of the narrow valley between Schunemunk and the
Hudson Highlands The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York state lying primarily in Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County on its west. They continue somewhat to the south in Westchester County and Rockland County ...
. This section of highway runs through mostly wooded terrain as it leaves Woodbury for
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
. Just north of Mountainville and the north end of Schunemunk, the road crosses
Moodna Creek Moodna Creek is a small tributary of the Hudson River that drains eastern Orange County, New York. At 15.5 miles (25 km)Nolan, J. Kelly; April 2004;  ; Hudson Basin River Watch; retrieved June 29, 2007. in length from its source at ...
downstream from the Woodbury Creek
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
. The intersection with Angola Road to the south was once the beginning of the former NY 307; it is now the west end of CR 107. Across the creek from CR 107 is Orrs Mills Road, another county road that leads to
Storm King Art Center Storm King Art Center, commonly referred to as Storm King and named after its proximity to Storm King Mountain, is an open-air museum located in New Windsor, New York. It contains what is perhaps the largest collection of contemporary outdo ...
. The road climbs gently out of the creek valley and enters development. At north of Angola Road, it crosses the New Windsor town line and reaches the complicated five-way intersection at the center of Vails Gate, intersecting NY 94 and the beginning of NY 300. The next include a middle turn lane as NY 32 becomes New Windsor's main commercial strip. This section ends at Temple Hill Avenue, with Snake Hill to the west. The road remains heavily commercial as it enters the city of Newburgh as the wide Lake Street. At Broadway ( NY 17K), Newburgh's main street, NY 32 turns east. The brief, unsigned concurrency ends where 17K terminates at
US 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approac ...
(Robinson Avenue), at the former Broadway School. NY 32, however, turns north again, beginning the first of several concurrencies with US 9W. The two highways remain joined for the next as they pass the
Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
and
Calvert Vaux Calvert Vaux (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape designer, best known as the co-designer, along with his protégé and junior partner Frederick Law Olmsted, of what would become New York Ci ...
-designed Downing Park and reach the city limit, where
I-84 Interstate 84 may refer to: * Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...
and
NY 52 New York State Route 52 (NY 52) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the state. It generally runs from west to east through five counties, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, cros ...
cross the highway heading towards the
Newburgh–Beacon Bridge The Hamilton Fish Newburgh–Beacon Bridge is a cantilever toll bridge that spans the Hudson River in New York State. The bridge carries Interstate 84 (I-84) and New York State Route 52 (NY 52) between Newburgh and Beacon and c ...
. Immediately beyond that junction, NY 32 separates from US 9W and heads northwest.


Newburgh to New Paltz

Newburgh has a commercial strip north of the city, featuring the Mid-Valley Mall and another large shopping plaza built around a
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
anchor. This development ends after when 32 passes the Town of Newburgh's Cronomer Hill Park on the south, near a short drive to the summit
observation tower An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
. more brings NY 32 to the center of the hamlet of Cronomer Valley and an unusual junction with NY 300. At what seems to be a conventional four-way intersection regulated by a traffic light, both highways turn, and it is necessary to turn to the northeast to stay on NY 32 headed north. Traffic that goes straight at this intersection flows onto NY 300. From this intersection, NY 32 passes Chadwick Lake, the town's
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
, and continues straight north through much less-developed, mostly wooded countryside for to the
Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...
line, almost the point at which the woods diminish. Barely into Plattekill, the highway crosses the Thruway again. It curves northwards shortly thereafter, retaining a slightly westward trend through mostly open fields near the
Shawangunk Ridge The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of the border with New Jersey ...
. At from the Thruway, NY 32 intersects US 44 and
NY 55 New York State Route 55 (NY 55) is a east-west state highway in southern New York, running from the Pennsylvania state line at the Delaware River in Barryville to the Connecticut state line at Wingdale. It is the only other state hig ...
in the center of another Town of Plattekill hamlet,
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
. A short distance beyond, the highway crosses into Gardiner, taking a wide bend around Locust Lawn, the
Federal-style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...
home of early 19th-century politician Josiah Hasbrouck. North of Modena, the surrounding area becomes slightly more wooded near where NY 32 crosses into the Town of New Paltz. The highway curves before entering the village next to the campus of
State University of New York at New Paltz The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz or New Paltz) is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It traces its origins to the New Paltz Classical School, a secondary institution founded in 1828 and reorganized as an a ...
. Two blocks north of campus, at New Paltz Middle School, it turns west at a traffic signal to join
NY 299 New York State Route 299 (NY 299) is a short but important state route entirely within Ulster County, New York, in the United States. Centered on its interchange with the New York State Thruway outside New Paltz, it provides access from ...
as the village's Main Street.


New Paltz to Kingston

While NY 32 officially remains concurrent with NY 299 all the way to the traffic light at the northern terminus of NY 208, a sign at the
Elting Memorial Library Elting Memorial Library is the public library that serves the residents of the village and town of New Paltz, New York. It is located at 93 Main Street (also NY 32 and 299) in the village's downtown area. In addition to a collection typical of m ...
, just before the center of downtown, directs northbound traffic on the highway down North Front Street. This shortcut allows that traffic to skip an often busy intersection and head out of the village on North Chestnut Street. Once past the village, the Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) building comes up on the west and the town hall along the east. NY 32 then becomes mostly rural again. Over the next , the road trends easterly until NY 213 joins it from the east right before the bridge over the Wallkill. Now concurrent, 32 and 213 bend away from the Thruway and pass through the hamlet of Tillson and then descend to cross
Rondout Creek Rondout Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, United States. It rises on Rock ...
at the former village of Rosendale. Just after the crossing, at the Stewart's, NY 213 leaves to the west along the creek, ending a concurrency. From Rosendale, NY 32 climbs up out of the Rondout valley and veers east into the hamlet of Maple Hill, where it crosses over the Thruway once again. It resumes a northerly course through Bloomington, and several miles further on crosses the Kingston city line. This entire segment of NY 32 is also concurrent with New York State Bicycle Route 32.


Kingston and Saugerties

On its route through Kingston, NY 32 frequently changes streets and directions. It enters town as Boulevard and meanders to just past Washington Avenue, where it splits onto the more easterly Greenkill Avenue and Fair Street for several blocks. NY 213 returns, merging from the south as Wilbur Avenue. The joined routes then turn onto Clinton Avenue for two blocks, then east onto Henry Street for about to Broadway, where NY 32 turns north and NY 213 ends. Another brings Broadway to the wide junction where I-587 and
NY 28 New York State Route 28 (NY 28) is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major ...
both terminate. NY 32 follows Albany Avenue northeast to Flatbush Avenue, where it turns to assume an eastward course. This finally bends slightly north to East Chester Street near the city limit, where US 9W again comes in to begin a brief
wrong-way concurrency A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurre ...
in which NY 32 north is US 9W south. It ends, unsigned, after with US 9W's turn onto Frank Koenig Boulevard. Continuing as Flatbush Road into the Town of Ulster, NY 32 is for the first time along its route east of US 9W and closer to the river. It encounters NY 199 at an interchange immediately west of the
Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge The George Clinton Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge is a continuous under-deck truss toll bridge that carries NY 199 across the Hudson River in New York State north of the City of Kingston and the hamlet of Rhinecliff. It was opened to traffic o ...
. Soon after, it passes Kingston–Ulster Airport. It remains on a northerly heading until south of Saugerties, where it veers west and merges with US 9W again. The two routes cross
Esopus Creek Esopus Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River that drains the east-central Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. From its source at Winnisook Lake on the slopes of Slide Mountain, the Catskills' highest peak, it flows across Uls ...
and enter the village, where Partition Street gives way to Main Street. At that T intersection, US 9W turns to continue north, while NY 32 picks up the new NY 212 and heads west out of town.


The Catskills to Albany

After one block of Main Street, NY 32 and NY 212 turn onto Market Street, then east onto Ulster Avenue after another block. As it crosses the railroad tracks and leaves the village, the road widens and becomes a commercial highway just before reaching a Thruway exit. This, the fourth time NY 32 has crossed the Thruway, is the first time it does so at an exit. Beyond the overpass, the concurrency ends when NY 32 turns and heads north once again. A tight nearby on-ramp provides access to the southbound Thruway. NY 32 does not enter the
Catskills The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas cl ...
but provides access to them along this stretch. At this point, the distance between NY 32 and the Thruway begins to widen. At the junction with Malden Turnpike ( CR 34), NY 32 turns westward, toward the
Catskill Escarpment The Catskill Escarpment, often referred to locally as just the Escarpment or the Great Wall of Manitou, and known as the Catskill Front to geologists, is the range forming the northeastern corner of the Catskill Mountains in Greene and Ulster cou ...
, and starts climbing through some rock cuts. When Blue Mountain Road ( CR 35) comes in from the south, NY 32 resumes heading north, parallel to the ridge. from that junction, its only suffixed route, NY 32A, splits off to the west to provide direct access via NY 23A and Kaaterskill Clove to Tannersville and
Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
. After crossing into Greene County, the road intersects NY 23A at an undeveloped junction. NY 32 remains in its straight course through the lowlands below the escarpment, passing through mostly woodlands and the hamlet of Kiskatom, then winding around the north side of Cairo Roundtop before it joins with
NY 23 New York State Route 23 (NY 23) is an east–west state highway in the eastern portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 26 in the Central New York town of Cincinnatus in Cortland County ...
at
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
. After , NY 32 leaves the divided highway to once again strike north as a two-lane route. It trends west to its westernmost point until turning to the north-northeast just south of
Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple *Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England *Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...
. North of Freehold the road begins to climb. Views south to the Catskills appear as it nears the center of Greenville, where it crosses
NY 81 New York State Route 81 (NY 81) is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 145 and Potter Hollow Road (unsigned NY&n ...
. further on, NY 32 enters Albany County via
Westerlo Westerlo () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises seven towns: * Westerlo centrum * * Tongerlo * Heultje * Voortkapel * Oosterwijk * In 2021, Westerlo had a total population of 25,288. The ...
near the Basic Creek Reservoir. The climbing stops another mile after the county line, where NY 32 reaches its highest elevation, , on the plateaus south of the Helderberg Escarpment. The road starts to curve back east as the surrounding landscape opens up, with larger fields surrounding it and a slow descent to the Hudson beginning. After sharing of road with NY 143, crossing the northern end of
Alcove Reservoir Alcove Reservoir is a reservoir located in Albany County, New York, United States. It serves as water supply for the city of Albany. At in elevation,
and descending the southern end of the Helderberg Escarpment, the road veers eastward toward Albany. To get there, it crosses into New Scotland just after the hamlet of Feura Bush and crosses a long bridge over the northern end of the busy
rail yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or u ...
northwest of Selkirk, where freight trains bound for New York City wait before crossing the Hudson at the
Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge The Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the Hudson River between Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, Castleton-on-Hudson and Selkirk, New York in the United States. The bridge is owned by CSX Transportation and was originally ...
. The landscape becomes more developed, though still rural, as the highway winds past a
SABIC Saudi Basic Industries Corporation ( ar, الشركة السعودية للصناعات الأساسية), known as SABIC ( ar, سابك), is a Saudi chemical manufacturing company. 70% of SABIC's shares are owned by Saudi Aramco. It is active in ...
plant and other development accompanying the rail yard, entering the town of
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
. At the southern corner of Delmar, NY 32 turns more to the east becomes a divided highway with grade intersections, the only non-concurrent segment of NY 32 to take this form. This segment continues, largely undeveloped, as it intersects NY 335 and crosses under the Thruway for the last time before reaching its final concurrency with US 9W. east of the Thruway, NY 32 again breaks from 9W and follows residential Corning Hill Road downhill to River Road, where it turns to the north again and crosses the
Normans Kill The Normans Kill is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 creek in New York's Capital District located in Schenectady and Albany counties. It flows southeas ...
into Albany, becoming South Pearl Street, and then paralleling
I-787 Interstate 787 (I-787) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is, per New York traffic data, at the toll plaza ...
for a short distance past the
Port of Albany–Rensselaer The Port of Albany–Rensselaer, widely known as the Port of Albany, is a port of entry in the United States with facilities on both sides of the Hudson River in Albany and Rensselaer, New York. Private and public port facilities have existed ...
before crossing underneath it.


Albany to Hudson Falls

NY 32 follows South Pearl Street between the
Mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
and
Pastures Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
neighborhoods, intersecting US 20 (Madison Avenue) near the approach to the Dunn Memorial Bridge, and then becoming one of the two main streets of
downtown Albany The Downtown Albany Historic District is a 19-block, area of Albany, New York, United States, centered on the junction of State ( New York State Route 5) and North and South Pearl streets ( New York State Route 32). It is the oldest settled area ...
. At Clinton Square and the
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
it intersects US 9 along Clinton Avenue. Near the city limits, NY 32 passes under
I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
. Upon crossing into the neighboring village of Menands, NY 32 bears onto Wolfert Avenue to access Broadway. Broadway, a business thoroughfare originating in downtown Albany, is designated NY 910C, an unsigned reference route, for south of Wolfert Avenue to the Albany city line. NY 32 occupies Broadway north of Wolfert Avenue, right at the former headquarters of Albany International, paralleling I-787. I-787's exit 6 ramps meet NY 32 in Menands, then NY 32 crosses over railroad tracks and soon leaves the village. NY 32 enters the
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Schuyler Heights in the town of Colonie. After a short stretch the road enters the city of Watervliet where the name changes from Broadway to Third Avenue. The
Watervliet Arsenal The Watervliet Arsenal is an arsenal of the United States Army located in Watervliet, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States, and today produces much of the artillery fo ...
forces NY 32 to curve northeasterly as Ninth Street. Then at a traffic signal NY 32 turns left onto Broadway. At 13th Street, NY 32 leaves Broadway and follows 13th two blocks west to an intersection with 2nd Avenue. Here,
NY 155 New York State Route 155 (NY 155) is a state highway located entirely within Albany County in the Capital District of New York. The western terminus of the route is at NY 85A in Voorheesville. The eastern terminus is at NY 3 ...
begins and occupies 13th Street to the west of 2nd Avenue while NY 32 turns north onto 2nd. NY 32 continues in the vicinity of I-787 and its continuation, NY 787, through Watervliet and back into the town of Colonie, this time it is through the hamlet of Maplewood, to Cohoes, where NY 787 ends at NY 32 near the convergence of the
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
and Hudson rivers at New Courtland Street. Past NY 787, NY 32 crosses the Mohawk River into
Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...
and the town of
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
, after crossing into the village of
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
NY 32 crosses the
Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
before intersecting US 4 in the heart of the village. The two routes merge, forming an overlap northward along the Hudson River. In Mechanicville, US 4 and NY 32 briefly overlap NY 67. Farther north, the two routes split north of Stillwater at the southern edge of the
Saratoga National Historical Park Saratoga National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Town of Stillwater in eastern New York, 30 miles north of Albany. The park preserves the site of the Battles of Saratoga. Description The park prese ...
. While US 4 straddles the park to the east, NY 32 follows the southern and western extents of the park before rejoining US 4 south of
Schuylerville Schuylerville () is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The village is located in the northeastern part of the Town of Saratoga, east of Saratoga Springs. The Village of Victory is adjacent to Schuylerville to the southwes ...
. In Schuylerville, the two routes are concurrent with
NY 29 New York State Route 29 (NY 29) is a state highway extending for across the eastern portion of the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus of the route is at NY 28 and NY 169 in Middleville, Herkimer County. The easte ...
for a short distance before exiting the village. To the north of the village in
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
, NY 32 separates from US 4 and heads northwest to Gansevoort, where it meets NY 50. NY 32 continues north on the right-of-way of NY 50 to South Glens Falls, where US 9 joins NY 32 northward across the Hudson River into
Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...
. Shortly after entering the city, NY 32 turns onto Warren Street, splitting from US 9 and following the Hudson River east toward
Hudson Falls Hudson Falls (formerly Sandy Hill) is a village located in Washington County, New York, United States. The village is in the southwest of the town of Kingsbury, on U.S. Route 4. Hudson Falls is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
. At Highland Avenue, NY 32 turns east, following Highland past Quaker Road ( NY 254) to Dix Avenue, where it merges east onto Dix. NY 32 remains on Dix into Hudson Falls, intersecting US 4 one last time north of the village before continuing through the intersection onto Burgoyne Avenue. The route follows Burgoyne Avenue southward around the northeastern portion of Hudson Falls to NY 196, where NY 32 terminates. Burgoyne Avenue continues southwestward as CR 37 to US 4 in Fort Edward.


History


Old roads

South of Mountainville, NY 32 was part of the New Windsor and Cornwall Turnpike, which stretched from the
Orange Turnpike New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Southern T ...
at
Southfields Southfields is a district of inner London located within the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, 5.6 miles (9 km) south-west of Charing Cross. Southfields is mainly residential, historically a part of Wandsworth itself, and is divided b ...
to New Windsor. The turnpike became NY 17 south of Harriman. North of Newburgh, the road follows the Newburgh and Sullivan Turnpike to the NY 300 junction and the old Plattekill Turnpike from NY 300 to Ulster County. South of Newburgh, the road became part of the West Shore Route auto trail; from Albany to Watervliet, the road was the northern extension of the New York-Albany-Troy Post Route trail.


Designation

The segment of modern NY 32 between Albany and Mechanicville was designated as part of NY 6 in 1924. From Mechanicville to
Hudson Falls Hudson Falls (formerly Sandy Hill) is a village located in Washington County, New York, United States. The village is in the southwest of the town of Kingsbury, on U.S. Route 4. Hudson Falls is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
, the current routing of NY 32 became part of
NY 30 New York State Route 30 (NY 30) is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in the Southern Tier to the US–Canada border i ...
. By 1926, the portion of what is now NY 32 from Harriman to Newburgh was designated NY 58. From Newburgh to Albany, NY 32 remained unnumbered at the time. When
U.S. Routes The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
were first assigned in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
in 1927, the portion of NY 6 from Albany to
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
was designated as the northernmost portion of
US 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approac ...
. In Waterford, US 9W merged with US 9E and continued north as US 9 to Mechanicville, where US 9 turned west onto modern NY 67. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, US 9W was truncated to Albany while US 9 was rerouted to follow a new stretch between Albany and Round Lake. The former routing of both routes along the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
between Albany and Mechanicville, as well as the entirety of NY 58 and the portion of NY 30 from Schuylerville to
Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...
was integrated into the new NY 32, which followed its current routing between Harriman and the Stillwater community of Bemis Heights and from
Schuylerville Schuylerville () is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The village is located in the northeastern part of the Town of Saratoga, east of Saratoga Springs. The Village of Victory is adjacent to Schuylerville to the southwes ...
to Glens Falls.''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 the 1930 renumbering Between Bemis Heights and Schuylerville, NY 32 followed what is now US 4 along the Hudson River while the former routing of NY 30 between the two locations became NY 32A. At the same time, US 4, which previously ended in Glens Falls, was rerouted south of Hudson Falls to end in East Greenbush. From
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
to Waterford, the route used what is now NY 32.


Reroutings

NY 32 has been realigned in several locations since its inception in 1930. When the route was initially assigned, it passed through Palenville instead of bypassing it to the east as it does today. In the early 1940s, NY 32 was rerouted to follow a new highway east of the
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
. NY 32's former routing into Palenville was redesignated as NY 32A. The original NY 32A in
Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...
—which was redundant to US 4—was supplanted at this time by a rerouted NY 32. The Bemis Heights–Schuylerville portion of the overlap between US 4 and NY 32 was eliminated in the 1950s when the original routing of NY 32 between the two locations was upgraded. Construction on the highway began in the mid-1950s and was completed by 1958, at which time US 4 was rerouted to follow the riverside roadway. In
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, a southern suburb of Albany, NY 32 was originally routed on Feura Bush Road between the hamlets of Feura Bush and Glenmont. North of Glenmont, NY 32 followed what is now NY 144. In 1956, the Albany County Board of Supervisors asked the state of New York to develop a highway that would reduce the amount of traffic on NY 43 (now NY 443) in Bethlehem. The original plans released by the state in 1959 called for a four-lane divided highway between NY 85 in New Scotland and US 9W in Bethlehem. The new road, known as the Delmar Bypass, would run south of the hamlets of
Slingerlands Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The S ...
, Delmar, and Elsmere, and loosely parallel Feura Bush Road to the north between Elm Avenue and US 9W. By February 1961, however, the state favored a new alignment that brought the bypass north from Elm Avenue to Slingerlands, where it would connect to the proposed Slingerlands Bypass north of NY 85. As a result, the road would run through the western part of Delmar and the eastern section of Slingerlands. The change in plans was met with stiff opposition from area residents at a February 8 public hearing, and the Bethlehem Town Board unanimously voted to oppose the altered route at a meeting one week later. Both actions eventually led the state to cancel the portion of the route west of Elm Avenue in January 1963. The portion east of Elm Avenue was completed in December 1963 and became part of a realigned NY 32 in the 1970s. Part of the right-of-way for the Delmar Bypass near Slingerlands was eventually used for a realignment of
NY 140 New York State Route 140 (NY 140) is an east–west state highway located entirely within the town of Bethlehem in Albany County, New York, in the United States. The highway runs for from a roundabout with NY 85 near the hamlet ...
named Cherry Avenue Extension. NY 32's former routing along Feura Bush Road is still state-maintained as NY 910A, an unsigned reference route. NY 32 ended in downtown Glens Falls until January 1, 1949, when the highway was extended east to US 4 in Hudson Falls by way of Warren Street, Boulevard, and Feeder Street. On April 1, 1980, ownership and maintenance of Boulevard between Highland Avenue and the Washington County line was transferred from the state of New York to
Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...
in exchange for control over Highland and Dix avenues between Warren Avenue and the Washington County line. In Hudson Falls, Boulevard and the segment of Feeder Street south of Boulevard were given to Washington County on April 1 of the following year in return for ownership and maintenance over all of Dix and Burgoyne avenues north of NY 196. NY 32 was rerouted to follow Highland, Dix, and Burgoyne avenues shortly afterward.


Rondout Creek bridge rehabilitation

In June 2008, NYSDOT began a rehabilitation project of the bridge over
Rondout Creek Rondout Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, United States. It rises on Rock ...
in Rosendale. The project involved rehabilitating the bridge one half at a time. The project was slated to have the 74-year-old bridge up to standards by the fall of 2009. It also included improvements to the road leading up to the bridge. Having only one lane open at a time congested traffic in the area. The total cost of the project was $5.5 million. The bridge had been refurbished before, in 1970.


Future

In several locations, traffic congestion along NY 32 has led to suggestions to change or modify the road. The problems are most severe at the southern terminus, but it is not the only section of the road with issues.


Woodbury Commons

The road's southern terminus at
Woodbury Commons Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is an outlet center located in Central Valley, New York. The center is owned by Premium Outlets, a subsidiary of Simon Property Group, and takes its name from the town in which it is located. Opened in late 1985, ...
is the most frequent topic of discussion, especially since Black Friday in 2001, when heavy traffic from holiday shoppers along adjacent sections of not only 32 but routes 6 and 17 and the Thruway came to a complete standstill. "This should have been planned for and it wasn't", complained one local official. "Now you're trying to close the door and the horse is already out". Despite several efforts and the presence of
state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
on later Black Fridays, a similar traffic jam occurred on
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
weekend 2006, when a break in bad weather led to an increase in shoppers so marked that US 6 and the Thruway were backed up as far as Newburgh and the
Palisades Interstate Parkway The Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) is a limited-access highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. The parkway is a major commuter route into New York City from Rockland County, New York, Rockland and Orange County ...
, respectively. The Woodbury police chief cited the blockage created by drivers making the left turn from NY 32 to the Thruway as the cause. Plans to build an exit ramp that would allow that traffic to go directly to the tollbooth have been expedited. On the weekend of August 17–18, 2009, another serious traffic jam occurred, in which it took some drivers two hours to get to the Thruway from the mall. Officials cited several factors: the heavy traffic on NY 17 that weekend for both the 40th anniversary of the
Woodstock Music Festival Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquari ...
in Sullivan County and the observances of the anniversary of Rabbi
Joel Teitelbaum Joel Teitelbaum ( yi, יואל טייטלבוים, translit=Yoyl Teytlboym, ; 13 January 1887 – 19 August 1979) was the founder and first Grand Rebbe of the Satmar dynasty. A major figure in the post-war renaissance of Hasidism, he espoused a ...
's death in Kiryas Joel, a few miles to the west. A traffic light that had been malfunctioning after a recent
lightning strike A lightning strike or lightning bolt is an electric discharge between the atmosphere and the ground. Most originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. A less common type of strike, ground- ...
may also have contributed. In 2007,
New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
(NYSDOT) officials announced their long-term plan to prevent further traffic jams. They will create a series of loops and overpasses allowing traffic to go directly from southbound NY 32 to the Thruway and remove some traffic lights in front of the mall. The changes were expected to be complete by 2011, as part of improvements to convert the NY 17 expressway into
I-86 Interstate 86 may refer to any of three unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York) * Interstate 86 (Idaho) * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an I ...
. However, in 2009 they were postponed due to funding constraints. Work was slated to begin in 2013, but just before it could start Governor
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
redirected the money to repair projects elsewhere in the state. The project was put on indefinite hold in 2014 until it could be funded. In 2016, NYSDOT announced a new five-year capital spending plan that included the exit 131 project. Construction is not expected to begin until 2018 at the earliest. Before beginning, the agency says it must acquire , permanent
easement An easement is a nonpossessory right to use and/or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. It is "best typified in the right of way which one landowner, A, may enjoy over the land of another, B". An easement is a propert ...
s over another and temporary easements over . The revised plan, DOT says, will allow it to shorten the timetable and complete the project in one phase instead of the two originally planned. It was expected to cost $115 million. Late in 2017, Cuomo revealed details of NYSDOT's new plan at a news conference. The main element would include converting the interchange into a diverging diamond, where traffic would switch sides of the road on the overpass so both left and right turns onto NY 17 would not have to be made against opposing traffic; in order to meet federal clearance requirements for
Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
, NY 17, gradually being converted into I-86, will be lowered by beneath the new overpass. Nininger Road ( CR 64), which currently ends at NY 32 just north of the interchange, would also be extended to the east and
grade separated In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tra ...
as well, passing underneath NY 32 in a new overpass to connect to a
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
where it would meet a new access road to the mall and an offramp from northbound NY 32. Cuomo said the new plan would cost $150 million and be completed by November 2019.


Vails Gate

The "Five Corners" intersection of NY 32 and NY 94 at Vails Gate was a four-way junction until
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
extended Temple Hill Road, later NY 300, southeast to the junction so that troops and materiel could get between
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
and the airbase at what was then
Stewart Field Stewart Air National Guard Base, located in Orange County, New York, is the base of the 105th Airlift Wing (105 AW), an Air Mobility Command unit of the New York Air National Guard and "host" wing for the installation. The airport also host ...
more quickly. It did not become a traffic problem until the 1990s, when
gas station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...
s,
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
s,
strip mall A strip mall, strip center or strip plaza is a type of shopping center common in North America where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front. ...
s and
fast-food restaurant A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast food, fast-food cuisine and has minimal Foodservice#Table service, table service. The food served ...
s had been built on every corner. By the end of the 20th century, the intersection was handling 30,000 drivers a day, from increasingly developed Cornwall, Newburgh and New Windsor. NYSDOT expanded the intersection with middle-turn lanes and overhead signs on all approaches. Many drivers still felt it was a confusing intersection and that the confusion slowed traffic down as much as the many cars' stopping to enter and exit nearby businesses. In 2001 state officials said they had done everything possible to improve traffic flows through the Five Corners. Continuing congestion was attributable to insufficient or nonexistent
planning Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. The evolution of forethought, the capacity to think ahead, is consi ...
.


Downtown New Paltz

Another choke point has been Main Street in
New Paltz New Paltz () is an incorporated U.S. town in Ulster County, New York. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston. New Paltz contains a village, also wit ...
, a section shared by NY 32 and
NY 299 New York State Route 299 (NY 299) is a short but important state route entirely within Ulster County, New York, in the United States. Centered on its interchange with the New York State Thruway outside New Paltz, it provides access from ...
. This is the main route back to the Thruway and downstate from the heavily used
hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...
areas at
Mohonk Preserve The Mohonk Preserve is a nature preserve in the Shawangunk Ridge, north of New York City in Ulster County, New York. The preserve has over of cliffs, forests, fields, ponds and streams, with over of carriage roads and of trails for hiking, cyc ...
and
Minnewaska State Park Preserve The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York on US 44/NY 55, west of New York State Route 299. The park, which features scenic overlooks of the nearby Catskill Mountains, is prima ...
in the Shawangunks. It is also a well-developed commercial area in a college town, with ample street parking. Traffic through the village has been so heavy on weekends during summer and peak leaf peeping weekends in early autumn that many residents have proposed making Main Street one-way, carrying traffic only to the west, while diverting eastbound traffic onto either of two parallel streets. Other villages that have made such changes found making streets one-way decreased business at their retailers. After four years of studying and reviewing the issue, the
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
and the village agreed to make the change. In 2007, however, the village's new mayor, who had supported the plan while a trustee, changed his mind and said the village's support was "on hold". While campaigning, he said, few village residents had expressed support for the plan. What he learned since taking over as mayor had only further convinced him that it was mostly town residents who wanted the street changes. He also believed that making Main Street one-way would reduce the total amount of routes available to vehicles passing through the village and would adversely route traffic away from the businesses along Main.


Major intersections


Suffixed routes

Originally, NY 32 had two suffixed routes, NY 32A and NY 32B, that were absorbed by other routes. The NY 32A designation has since been revived for a short connector in the Hudson Valley. * The NY 32A designation has been used for two distinct highways: ** The first NY 32A was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York to the segment of modern NY 32 between Bemis Heights and
Schuylerville Schuylerville () is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The village is located in the northeastern part of the Town of Saratoga, east of Saratoga Springs. The Village of Victory is adjacent to Schuylerville to the southwes ...
in
Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...
. At the time, NY 32 was routed on what is now US 4 between the two locations. The route was supplanted by a realigned NY 32 in the early 1940s. ** The current NY 32A is a connector between NY 32 and NY 23A in
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and
Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
counties. It was assigned in the early 1940s. * NY 32B was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering to an alternate route of NY 32 between
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
and
Glens Falls Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls refe ...
in Saratoga,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, and
Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...
counties. It was truncated northward to
Hudson Falls Hudson Falls (formerly Sandy Hill) is a village located in Washington County, New York, United States. The village is in the southwest of the town of Kingsbury, on U.S. Route 4. Hudson Falls is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
in the early 1940s and mostly replaced by NY 254 .


See also

*


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:New York State Route 032 032 Transportation in Orange County, New York Transportation in Ulster County, New York Transportation in Greene County, New York Transportation in Albany County, New York Transportation in Saratoga County, New York Transportation in Washington County, New York Transportation in Warren County, New York