Interstate 86 (I-86) is an
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
that extends for through northwestern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and the
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York, Upstate region of New York (state), New York State, geographically situated along or very near the state border with Pennsylvania. Definitions of the region vary wide ...
region of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, in the United States. The highway has two segments: the longer of the two begins at an interchange with
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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
east of
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...
, and ends at
New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the New York–Pennsylvania border, Pennsylvania state line south ...
(NY 26) in
Vestal, New York
Vestal is a Town (New York), town within Broome County, New York, Broome County in the Southern Tier of New York (state), New York, United States, and lies between the Susquehanna River and the Pennsylvania border. As of the 2020 census, the pop ...
in
Broome County
Broome County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 198,683. Its county seat is Binghamton. The county was named for John Broome, the state's lieutenant governor when ...
, while the second extends from
I-81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
east of
Binghamton
Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
to
NY 79
New York State Route 79 (NY 79) is a east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the intersection with NY 414 near the southern end of Seneca Lake ...
in
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
. When projects to upgrade the existing
NY 17 to
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 t ...
are completed, I-86 will extend from I-90 near Erie to the
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...
(
I-87
Interstate 87 may refer to either of two unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States:
* Interstate 87 (New York), a highway running from New York City north to the Canadian border in Champlain, New York.
* Interstate 87 (North Carolina) ...
) in
Woodbury. The portion in Erie County, Pennsylvania, is known as the Hopkins-Bowser Highway and is signed as such at each end. In New York, the current and future alignment of I-86 is known as the Southern Tier Expressway west of I-81 in Binghamton and the Quickway east of I-81.
I-86 travels in Pennsylvania and in New York. Except for a section of about that dips into Pennsylvania at exit 60 near the New York village of
Waverly, the Pennsylvania borough of
South Waverly
South Waverly is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,070 at the 2020 census. South Waverly is part of the Penn-York Valley (called "The Valley"), a group of fou ...
, and the section passing through
Greenfield Township from
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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
to the Pennsylvania/New York Border, the rest of I-86 will be in New York. The section of NY 17 through South Waverly is maintained by the
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation'' (NYSDOT) is the department of the Government of New York (state), New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, Rail transport, railroads, mass transit sys ...
(NYSDOT), however. The Southern Tier Expressway section of I-86 and NY 17 comprises Corridor T of the
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historica ...
. I-86 connects to
US Route 219 (US 219) in
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
, Seneca Nation;
I-390 near
Avoca and
I-99/
US 15
U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US ...
just west of
Corning.
Most of the Quickway and the Southern Tier Expressway was built in stages from the 1950s to the 1980s. The I-86 designation was assigned on December 3, 1999, to the entirety of since-decommissioned Pennsylvania Route 17 (PA 17) and to the westernmost of NY 17. It has been extended eastward as more sections of the existing NY 17 freeway have been upgraded to Interstate Highway standards, first to
NY 14
New York State Route 14 (NY 14) is a state highway located in western New York in the United States. Along with NY 19, it is one of two routes to transect the state in a north–south fashion between the Pennsylvania border ...
in
Horseheads in 2004, to NY 352 in Elmira in 2008, and its current terminus at the Chemung–Tioga county line in 2013. The segment of NY 17 between I-81 and NY 79 was designated as part of I-86 in 2006, but this segment currently remains discontinuous with the rest of I-86 while work is being done in the Binghamton area to bring NY 17 up to Interstate standards.
Route description
, -
, PA
,
, -
, NY
,
, -
, Total
,
Pennsylvania to Olean
I-86 begins at an interchange with
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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
in a relatively flat area of northwestern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. It heads to the southeast, meeting
PA 89 at exit 3 before curving to the east and crossing into
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, where it becomes
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with
NY 17. The freeway heads generally east–west across southwest
Chautauqua County, serving the
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
of
Findley Lake and the village of
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank
S ...
via
NY 426 and
NY 76, respectively, as it proceeds toward
Chautauqua Lake
Chautauqua Lake is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The lake is approximately long and wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately . The maximum depth is about . The shoreline is about of ...
.

After crossing Chautauqua Lake, I-86 merges into an older section of freeway at exit 10 near
Bemus Point; this freeway is now
NY 954J northwest of the newer extension. NY 954J runs into
NY 430, which (along with
NY 394) carried NY 17 to
Westfield before the 1980s extension. From Bemus Point to
Jamestown (exit 12), I-86 parallels the old NY 17 (now NY 430) along the northeast shore of Chautauqua Lake. The
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...
extension to
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
(built as the
Atlantic and Great Western Railroad
The Atlantic and Great Western Railroad began as three separate railroads: the Erie and New York City Railroad based in Jamestown, New York; the Meadville Railroad based in Meadville, Pennsylvania (renamed A&GW in April 1858); and the Franklin ...
) comes into Jamestown from the southwest and parallels I-86 to its junction with the Erie's original main line to
Dunkirk
Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
at
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
.
From Jamestown to Salamanca, the old NY 17 (now mostly NY 394), the new I-86 and the railroad run generally parallel through river valleys. The transportation routes run along the
Chadakoin River
The Chadakoin River is a stream that is a tributary of the Conewango Creek. The Chadakoin lies entirely in Chautauqua County in Western New York in the United States.
The stream drains an area of , covering much of Chautauqua County. The cree ...
,
Conewango Creek
Conewango Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States.
The creek's drainage covers much of southeastern Chautauqua County, New York, and western Cattaraugus County, New York. The creek' ...
and Little Conewango Creek to
Steamburg (exit 17), cutting east to the
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...
at
Coldspring there. The valley of the Allegheny takes the routes to Salamanca (exit 20), where the railroads merged, and beyond to
Olean (exits 25 and 26). From Salamanca to Olean, the old NY 17 is now
NY 417. At Olean, the Allegheny River and NY 417 (old NY 17) continue southeast, while I-86 and the Erie Railroad head northeast. NY 417 does not return to I-86 until exit 44 near
Painted Post, and the Erie switches between the two alignments several times.
Olean to Elmira
I-86 and the old Erie line (now part of the
Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad) run northeast along the valleys of Olean Creek and
Oil Creek to
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
(exit 28). From Cuba to
Friendship
Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
Althoug ...
(exit 29), they run through a valley and over a summit, then following Van Campen Creek northeast to
Belvidere (exit 30). At Belvidere, the Erie turns southeast to meet NY 417 at
Wellsville, but I-86 continues northeast through the valleys of the
Genesee River
The Genesee River ( ) is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. The river contains several waterfalls in New York at Letchworth State Park and Roch ...
and Angelica Creek to
Angelica
''Angelica'' is a genus of about 90 species of tall Biennial plant, biennial and Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous, herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as ...
(exit 31), and then east along Angelica Creek, over a summit that is the highest point on the Interstate, and along Karr Valley Creek to
Almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...
(exit 33). This summit, at above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, is the highest point along I-86, located between exits 32 (
West Almond) and 33 and marked with a sign.

At Almond, I-86 rejoins the
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...
, passing through Canacadea Creek valley about halfway to
Hornellsville. However, where the railroad turns southeast to Hornellsville, I-86 continues northeast across a summit and into the wide
Canisteo River
The Canisteo River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Tioga River in western New York in the United States. It drains a dissected pl ...
valley (exit 34). It leaves the valley along Carrington Creek but quickly turns east across a summit to follow Big Creek and cross another summit to
Howard
Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...
(exit 35). I-86 runs alongside Goff Creek from Howard to the wide
Cohocton River
The Cohocton River, sometimes referred to as the Conhocton River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Chemung River in western New Yor ...
valley, where it meets the south end of
I-390 (exit 36) near Avoca and turns southeast through that valley, parallel to the Erie's
Rochester–
Painted Post line (
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
, and
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...
).
I-86,
NY 415 (old
US 15
U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US ...
) and the Erie branch all run southeast along the Cohocton River past
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
(exit 38) to
Painted Post (exit 44), now the north end of
I-99 and US 15. NY 417 (old NY 17) also ends at exit 44, while NY 415 continues east into Corning (exits 45–46). From Painted Post through Corning to
Big Flats (exit 49), I-86,
NY 352 (old NY 17) and the Erie Railroad run through the
Chemung River
The Chemung River ( ) is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 in south central New York and northern ...
valley. NY 352 begins at exit 45, west of downtown Corning, and is a recently bypassed four-lane road through Corning. East of
East Corning (exit 48), the freeway was built as an on-the-spot upgrade of the old NY 17.

At Big Flats, the Chemung River (and NY 352) turns southeast to downtown
Elmira, while I-86 and the Erie continue east-northeast alongside Singsing Creek to the vicinity of
Elmira Corning Regional Airport
Elmira Corning Regional Airport is in Chemung County, New York, northwest of Elmira and east of Corning. It is in the Big Flats census-designated place and in the town of Big Flats, while its mailing address gives the location as Horsehe ...
. The highway continues into
Horseheads, where it becomes an elevated highway through the use of a large arrangement of embankments and bridges. It connects to
NY 14
New York State Route 14 (NY 14) is a state highway located in western New York in the United States. Along with NY 19, it is one of two routes to transect the state in a north–south fashion between the Pennsylvania border ...
and
NY 13 via exits 52 and 54, respectively, before turning south to follow Newtown Creek into Elmira. Just east of the city's downtown district, I-86 meets
NY 352 (exit 56), then continues to the Chemung–Tioga county line.
Elmira to Vestal
From NY 352 onwards, I-86 straddles the Chemung River past Elmira towards
Waverly, where it briefly dips back into Pennsylvania for a few yards and intersects
U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways, which run east-west. US 220 extends for ...
before turning back into New York, now straddling the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
. The freeway passes by the
Tioga Downs racetrack and casino in
Nichols before an interchange with
NY 96
New York State Route 96 (NY 96) is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with I-86 in the Southern Tier village ...
and
NY 434 in
Owego.
I-86 and NY 17 continue following the Susquehanna into
Broome County
Broome County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 198,683. Its county seat is Binghamton. The county was named for John Broome, the state's lieutenant governor when ...
with NY 434, the former NY 17, running parallel to the freeway. I-86 and NY 17 then intersects with
NY 26
New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broom ...
at a clover interchange in Vestal, with NY 17 continuing along the freeway towards
Binghamton
Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
. The I-86 designation ends here for now; however, a section of NY 17 just east of Binghamton is also designated as I-86, creating a temporary gap in the designation. This segment runs from
I-81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
at exit 75 in
Kirkwood to
NY 79
New York State Route 79 (NY 79) is a east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the intersection with NY 414 near the southern end of Seneca Lake ...
at exit 79 in
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
.
History
Origins and the Quickway
The first long-distance route through the modern I-86 corridor was
NY 17, which extended from
Westfield to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
via
Harriman when it was assigned in 1924. Much of NY 17 followed a routing parallel or identical to that of the modern Southern Tier Expressway and Quickway; however, it followed a more northerly routing between Westfield and
Bemus Point (via modern
NY 394 and
NY 430) and a more southerly track from
Belvidere to
Corning (via what is now
NY 19
New York State Route 19 (NY 19) is a north–south state highway in Western New York in the United States. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the sta ...
and
NY 417). NY 17 was realigned as part of the
1930 state highway renumbering to travel directly from
Olean to
Wellsville on modern NY 417, located well to the south of today's Southern Tier Expressway.

By the late 1940s, the portion of NY 17 through the
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...
and
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
and
Rockland counties had become prone to massive traffic jams due to both its winding and narrow composition and congestion in the villages and
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
s along the highway. As a result, the state of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
began making plans to construct an expressway leading from the
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...
at Harriman to the Catskills.
Construction of the NY 17 freeway began in 1947 in the Hudson Valley town of
Wallkill.
National Bridge Inventory
The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is a database, compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, with information on all bridges and tunnels in the United States that have roads passing above or below them. That is similar to the grade-crossing ...
, a database compiled by the United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States a ...
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
, available at www.nationalbridges.com. Accessed December 18, 2007. The first section of the new freeway, a bypass of
Middletown between
Fair Oaks (exit 118A, since removed) and
Goshen (exit 123), opened to traffic in July 1951 as a realignment of NY 17. In 1954, several severe accidents occurred along parts of the surface NY 17, compelling the state to make constructing the freeway, dubbed the "Quickway", a higher priority.
The road was extended east first, reaching
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
(exit 127) in October 1954 and the Thruway near Harriman in August 1955.
To the west, a section of the highway through
Sullivan
Sullivan may refer to:
People
Characters
* Chloe Sullivan, from the television series ''Smallville''
* Colin Sullivan, a character in the film ''The Departed'', played by Matt Damon
* Harry Sullivan (''Doctor Who''), from the British science f ...
and
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
counties was built over the
right-of-way
A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
of the defunct
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad founded in 1868. The last train ran from Norwich, New York, to Middletown, Orange County, New York, Middletown, New York, in 1957, after whi ...
. Most of the Sullivan County section of the Quickway was completed during the 1950s, with the first section within the county—between Rock Hill (exit 108) and
Wurtsboro
Wurtsboro is a Village (New York), village located on U.S. Route 209 in New York, U.S. Route 209 in the town of Mamakating, New York, Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York, United States, near its junction with New York State Route 17 (which i ...
(exit 114)—opening in December 1956. A second section, from Ferndale (exit 101) to north of
Liberty
Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
(exit 98), was completed in July 1958. The gap between Wurtsboro and Fair Oaks in
Orange County was filled on October 23, 1958, while the section between Ferndale and Rock Hill was completed in two stages. The section east of modern exit 104 in
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...
was opened in July 1959; the part north of that point opened in December 1960.
By 1969, with the assistance of federal funding from the
Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a United States federal–state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. Congress established A ...
procured by New York's US Senator
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
, the route provided nonstop access between Harriman and
Binghamton
Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
, and by extension
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to Binghamton. It connected the New York State Thruway (
I-87
Interstate 87 may refer to either of two unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States:
* Interstate 87 (New York), a highway running from New York City north to the Canadian border in Champlain, New York.
* Interstate 87 (North Carolina) ...
) to
I-81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
. Despite flaws in the highway's design—it included a grade-level railroad crossing near
Fair Oaks (since removed) and two stretches with intersections and driveway access—the Quickway succeeded in easing travel through southern New York, cutting the driving time in half and the accident rate by 70 percent.
Southern Tier Expressway

In February 1953, New York Governor
Thomas E. Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...
proposed constructing four superhighways across the state to supplement the New York State Thruway. One of the four proposed
limited-access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, partial controlled-access highway, and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a contro ...
s would cut across the
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York, Upstate region of New York (state), New York State, geographically situated along or very near the state border with Pennsylvania. Definitions of the region vary wide ...
, linking
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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
in the west to Binghamton in the east. The first segments of what became known as the Southern Tier Expressway, a westward continuation of the Quickway, were completed in the mid-1960s. Four sections were opened to traffic at this time:
Kennedy
Kennedy may refer to:
People
* Kennedy (surname), including any of several people with that surname
** Kennedy family, a prominent American political family that includes:
*** Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969), American businessman, investor, ...
(exit 14) to
Randolph Randolph may refer to:
Places In the United States
* Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community
* Randolph, Arizona, a populated place
* Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea
* Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated com ...
(exit 16),
Coldspring (exit 17) to western
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
(exit 20),
Campbell (exit 41) to
Corning (exit 45), and
East Corning (exit 48) to
Lowman (exit 57), parts of which were built as a surface highway. The Coldspring to Salamanca section was built out of necessity: in 1967, the first
stress test
Stress testing is a form of deliberately intense or thorough testing, used to determine the stability of a given system, critical infrastructure or entity. It involves testing beyond normal operational capacity, often to a breaking point, in orde ...
of the
Kinzua Dam
The Kinzua Dam, on the Allegheny River in Warren County, Pennsylvania, is one of the largest dams in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located within the Allegheny National Forest.
The dam is located east of Warren, Penns ...
had submerged part of the original NY 17 into the
Allegheny Reservoir
The Allegheny Reservoir (also known as Kinzua Lake and unofficially as Lake Perfidy) is a reservoir along the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York, USA. It was created in 1965 by the construction of the Kinzua Dam along ...
and made it impassable. Construction of the new highway destroyed most of the town of
Red House.
[Chu, Jennifer (February 6, 2004)]
Portrait of a shrinking town
''Living on Earth''. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
A fifth section, from
Owego (exit 65) to
Johnson City (exit 69), opened in early 1969. The portion of the expressway between
Nichols (exit 62) and Owego was opened to traffic on October 3, 1969.

Four more segments of the Southern Tier Expressway were completed over the course of the next three years. By 1972, the gaps between Randolph and Coldspring and from Johnson City to I-81 in Binghamton were filled while the expressway was extended west from Kennedy to
Falconer (exit 13) and east from Lowman to
Waverly (exit 60). The missing link between Waverly and Nichols was completed by 1974.
The portion of the freeway in and around Waverly was originally planned to be built on the right-of-way of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad, was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey, and by ferry with New York City, a distance of . The railroad was ...
through southern Waverly; however, the plan was scrapped in favor of a more southerly alignment that passed through the borough of
South Waverly, Pennsylvania
South Waverly is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,070 at the 2020 census. South Waverly is part of the Penn-York Valley (called "The Valley"), a group of fo ...
. The realignment saved $2 million (equivalent to $ in ) in construction costs and spared a handful of industries in the highway's proposed path. Both state legislatures approved the realignment in 1966 after New York agreed to maintain the section of the freeway in Pennsylvania. As part of an agreement made between the two states, Pennsylvania acquired the necessary right-of-way and easements for the freeway at the expense of New York.
Three other segments of the freeway were completed by 1974. Two of the three—from
Jamestown (exit 11) and Falconer and between
Almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...
(exit 33) and
Campbell—were extensions of preexisting sections while the third, connecting
Allegany (exit 24) to
Hinsdale (exit 27), was isolated from the other portions of the highway.
This was only temporary, however, as the freeway was completed between Hinsdale and Belvidere (exit 30) by January 1975 and opened to traffic from Belvidere to Almond on January 30, 1975. The Southern Tier Expressway was extended westward to
Bemus Point by 1977, initially utilizing what is now
NY 954J. In the early 1980s, work began on a westward extension to the vicinity of
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...
. The
Findley Lake–Bemus Point (exits 4–10) segment was completed by 1985
while the portion from I-90 east of Erie to Findley Lake was opened by 1989. From I-90 to exit 8, the freeway was initially built as a
super two
A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ri ...
highway, with both directions utilizing what are now the eastbound lanes.
The westbound lanes were built at a cost of $34 million (equivalent to $ in ) and opened to traffic on October 2, 1997.
Salamanca and Corning
Construction of the freeway between exits 20 and 24 was delayed for several years by members of the
Seneca people
The Seneca ( ; ) are a group of Indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their nation was the farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois Leag ...
, who objected to the freeway's proposed routing through the
Allegany Indian Reservation
Allegany Reservation () is a Seneca Nation of Indians reservation in Cattaraugus County, New York, U.S. In the 2000 census, 58 percent of the population within the reservation boundaries were Native Americans. Some 42% were European Americans; the ...
. On June 29, 1976, the state of New York made an agreement with the Seneca nation that paid approximately $1.8 million (equivalent to $ in ) to the Seneca people and property owners for the of land comprising the highway's proposed routing. In addition, the state ceded of land to the Seneca people— of which were taken from the adjacent
Allegany State Park
Allegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County, New York, Cattaraugus County just north of the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area a ...
—and agreed to support several tax and regulatory exemptions for the Senecas. The transaction was completed in September 1981, and construction on the segment began in 1982.
The portion of the expressway between exits 20 and 21 was completed by 1985.
On July 21, 1985, construction was halted by protesting Senecas who did not accept the authority of the Seneca people’s leadership. The protest was organized in part by two owners of property in the path of the highway and involved the construction of an encampment on the right-of-way of the Southern Tier Expressway. The state had conducted studies on realigning the highway to bypass the disputed section;
however, the Indians vacated the encampment five days later. A temporary injunction prohibiting further disruptions of the highway's construction was issued in early August, allowing work on the Salamanca–Seneca Junction (exit 23) section of the expressway to resume on August 13. This segment was completed by 1989
while the last section between Seneca Junction and Allegany was opened to traffic by 1995.
Work on the Corning Bypass, a freeway around the northern and eastern fringes of the city of Corning, began in the mid-1980s. The first segment of the highway—between
NY 414 (exit 46) and East Corning—was completed by 1989
while the rest opened in the mid-1990s. The completion of the Corning Bypass, remedying the last substantial gap in the freeway, created a continuous, mostly limited-access highway between Erie, Pennsylvania, and Harriman, New York. The completed highway, designated as PA 17 and NY 17,
served as a time-saving, toll-free alternate route to the Thruway for motorists going from the
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
area to
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and points west. In fact, the
New York State Thruway Authority
The New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) is a New York State public-benefit corporations, public benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The NYSTA was formed in 1950 with the responsibility of constructing, main ...
initially opposed the highway's construction, fearing the loss of toll revenue on its own route from motorists
shunpiking
Shunpiking is the act of deliberately avoiding roads that require payment of a fee or toll to travel on them, usually by traveling on alternative "free" roads which bypass the toll road. The term comes from the word ''shun'', meaning "to avoid", a ...
via the new highway.
Designation and conversion
The portion of the two-state freeway from I-90 near Erie to I-81 in Binghamton is designated as Corridor T of the
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historica ...
.
In 1998, all of PA 17 and the portion of NY 17 from the
Pennsylvania state line to Harriman were designated "High Priority Corridor 36" in the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
The United States federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) is a federal transportation bill enacted June 9, 1998, as and . TEA-21 authorized federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and trans ...
(TEA-21). New York politicians, including Senator
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (; March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, diplomat and social scientist. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he represented New York (state), New York in the ...
, and businesspeople backed the move in the hope that an efficient, high-speed roadway would inspire companies to start or expand their businesses in the state's southern counties.
Shortly after the passage of TEA-21, Corridor 36 was legislatively designated as I-86 in an amendment to the bill. The
(AASHTO) formally approved the designation on November 6, 1998, as "Future I-86".

On December 3, 1999, all of PA 17 and the westernmost of NY 17 were officially designated as I-86 by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
(FHWA)
following improvements to bring the roadway up to
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 t ...
. The designation was extended eastward to
NY 14
New York State Route 14 (NY 14) is a state highway located in western New York in the United States. Along with NY 19, it is one of two routes to transect the state in a north–south fashion between the Pennsylvania border ...
in
Horseheads on January 28, 2004,
after that section had been upgraded. On May 1, 2006, the portion of NY 17 from I-81 in Binghamton east to
NY 79
New York State Route 79 (NY 79) is a east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the intersection with NY 414 near the southern end of Seneca Lake ...
in
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
was designated as part of I-86
following the elimination of
at-grade intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections ar ...
s and the reconstruction of exit ramps along the stretch. The completion of the $30-million (equivalent to $ in ) project increased the total mileage of I-86 to and created a temporary gap in the designation.
In Horseheads, a $60-million (equivalent to $ in ) project to elevate the highway and remove at-grade intersections in the village between NY 14 (exit 52) and
NY 13 (exit 54) began in April 2004 and was completed on August 20, 2007.
NYSDOT
The New York State Department of Transportation'' (NYSDOT) is the department of the Government of New York (state), New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, Rail transport, railroads, mass transit sys ...
subsequently sought permission from the FHWA to extend I-86 over the new bypass and the existing NY 17 freeway to
NY 352 in Elmira; it was granted on March 28, 2008, adding another to the route.
A portion of NY 17 between exits 56 and 59 originally had several at-grade intersections. Work on a project to eliminate the junctions began in January 2010.
Three discontinuous sections of
County Route 60 (CR 60, named Brant Road, Oneida Road, and Old NY 17), a parallel surface road, were linked together as part of the project.
Two of the three at-grade junctions with CR 60—the east junction with Brant Road and the west junction with Oneida Road—were permanently closed on March 24, 2010, to allow construction to begin on the new alignment of the county route between the two locations. The $65-million (equivalent to $ in ) project was completed on November 1, 2012.
On November 14, 2024, NYSDOT announced the extension of the I-86 designation from exit 60 to exit 67 (
NY 26
New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broom ...
) in
Vestal.
Future
In 1998, then-Governor
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...
signed legislation to convert the entirety of
NY 17 to an interstate and stated that the conversion would be fully completed by 2009.
However, a severe lack of funding has pushed the completion date back. , the only portion west of Binghamton not officially designated as I-86 is between the
Chemung–
Tioga Tioga may refer to:
United States communities
*Tioga, California, former name of Bennettville, California
*Tioga, Colorado
* Tioga, Florida
* Tioga, Iowa
* Tioga, Louisiana
* Tioga, Michigan
* Tioga, New York, a town in Tioga County
*Tioga County, ...
county line and the junction with
I-81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
. The designation on this segment cannot be applied before NYSDOT completes the Prospect Mountain construction project at the junction of I-81,
US 11, NY 17, and
NY 7 in Binghamton, which when complete will bring the roadway up to
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 t ...
. The official completion of the project was set for December 2020. The project has since been completed, but as of February 2022, the segment is still not officially designated as I-86.
Work on converting the portion of the highway east of Windsor is expected to be far more substantial than the work west of Binghamton.
Aside from numerous minor interchange improvements, major work includes constructing two new interchanges in the mountainous
Hale Eddy area, exits 85 and 86, to replace two at-grade intersections, as well as the relocation of driveways in that area, improving curve radiuses throughout the route, and widening the shoulders on narrow parts of the highway. Work was completed in November 2019 on a redesigned interchange at exit 131, where NY 17 meets I-87 and
NY 32. Construction to bring exits 124 and 125 in
Goshen up to Interstate standards, with the latter being a brand new exit, which was expected to be completed in early 2020, but was delayed. In December 2020, NYSDOT completed construction of the new exit 125, which was built to accommodate the new
Legoland New York. As part of the project, a
four-ramp parclo was built, which replaced the prior exit 125, located west. NY 17 was also expanded to three lanes in each direction between exits 124 and 125. Harriman Drive was expanded to two lanes in each direction between the exit and Legoland's entrance as well. Exit 122 has also been upgraded to interstate standards. There is no timetable for the full completion of the I-86 conversion between NY 79 in Windsor and the thruway (I-87) in Harriman. Nevertheless, the segment between
Bloomingburg and Goshen is signed as I-86 and NY 17 despite not officially being part of I-86.
In October 2022, Governor
Kathy Hochul
Kathleen Hochul ( ; ; born August 27, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer who has served since 2021 as the 57th governor of New York. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she is New York's List of female ...
announced that a draft environmental impact statement on upgrading Route 17 to transform it into Interstate 86 was underway, public outreach was expected early in 2023, and that up to $1 billion was available for the work.
Exit list
Pennsylvania uses
milepost-based exit numbers on its Interstate Highways; other I-86 exits are
numbered sequentially.
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
Interstate Guide – I-86 (Eastern)I-86 in New York at AARoads.com
Pennsylvania Roads - I-86New York Roads - I-86*
Named for former New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 086 (East)
86
86
86 east
Transportation in Erie County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Chautauqua County, New York
Transportation in Cattaraugus County, New York
Transportation in Allegany County, New York
Transportation in Steuben County, New York
Transportation in Chemung County, New York
Transportation in Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Broome County, New York