State Route 314 (New York–Vermont)
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New York State Route 314 (NY 314) and Vermont Route 314 (VT 314) are a pair of like-numbered
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 Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
s in
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 * ...
and
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
in the United States, that are connected by way of the
Grand Isle–Plattsburgh Ferry The Lake Champlain Transportation Company (LCTC or LCT) is a vehicle ferry operator that runs three routes across Lake Champlain between the US states of New York (state), New York and Vermont. From 1976 to 2003, the company was owned by Burling ...
across
Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...
and the Thomas MacDonough Highway in Plattsburgh. NY 314 extends for through the
Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York ** Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...
town of
Plattsburgh Plattsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding (and separately in ...
from Interstate 87 (I-87) exit 39 to U.S. Route 9. NY 314 previously continued another to the ferry landing on
Cumberland Head Cumberland Head is a census-designated place and region of the town of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census. Cumberland Head is a peninsula projecting into Lake Champlain, and inc ...
. Its Vermont counterpart is a loop route off of U.S. Route 2 (US 2) through the
Grand Isle County Grand Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,293, making it Vermont's second-least populous county. Its shire town (county seat) is North Hero. The county was created in 1802 and orga ...
towns of South Hero and Grand Isle that connects to the ferry near its midpoint. VT 314 was originally designated as Vermont Route F-3 in the late 1920s. The roadway on the New York side was unnumbered until , when Cumberland Head Road was designated as NY 314. VT F-3 was redesignated as VT 314 in 1964 to match the designation present at the New York ferry approach. In 2005, a new highway connecting US 9 to the ferry landing by way of the interior of Cumberland Head was completed and opened to traffic as the Commodore Thomas MacDonough Highway. NY 314 was realigned to follow the new highway while ownership and maintenance of its old alignment was transferred to the town of Plattsburgh. The designation of NY 314 east of US 9 was removed by July 2014.


Route description


NY 314

NY 314 begins along Moffitt Road in the town of Plattsburgh. The route heads southeast as a four-lane divided highway still known as Moffitt Road. Almost immediately, the state route reaches
Adirondack Northway Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. I-87 is the main highway that connects New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New Yor ...
's (
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) ...
) exit 39, a half-
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...
and half-
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade separation, grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. ...
. Just past the interchange, the road reaches an intersection with US 9 (the
Lakes to Locks Passage The Lakes to Locks Passage in the United States and the corresponding in Canada form a scenic byway network located in northeastern New York and southern Quebec. This byway connects a series of water routes including the upper Hudson River, Cha ...
), where NY 314 terminates. The total length of the state highway is .


VT 314

VT 314 begins at an intersection with US 2 just north of Keeler Bay, a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in the town of South Hero. The route heads northwestward as Ferry Road, passing by a small number of homes situated amongst open fields. At the western edge of Grand Isle, VT 314 intersects West Shore Road, a local highway that runs along the western shoreline of the island. The route turns north onto West Shore Road, following the roadway along Lake Champlain and into the town of Grand Isle. Here, the route's surroundings are mainly the same as it proceeds toward Gordon Landing. In Gordon Landing, VT 314 connects to a ferry landing for the Grand Isle–Plattsburgh Ferry (which leads to Clinton CR 57) by way of an unnamed extension of Bell Hill Road. VT 314 continues northward along West Shore Road to Allen Road, where the route turns to follow Allen Road eastward across the island. While on Allen Road, the route passes through an area of open fields and forests that contains only a couple dozen homes. VT 314 continues eastward to another junction with US 2, where the route comes to an end.


History


Designations

All of modern VT 314 was originally designated as VT F-3 in the late 1920s. At Gordon Landing, VT F-3 connected to
Cumberland Head Cumberland Head is a census-designated place and region of the town of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census. Cumberland Head is a peninsula projecting into Lake Champlain, and inc ...
in
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 * ...
by way of the
Grand Isle–Plattsburgh Ferry The Lake Champlain Transportation Company (LCTC or LCT) is a vehicle ferry operator that runs three routes across Lake Champlain between the US states of New York (state), New York and Vermont. From 1976 to 2003, the company was owned by Burling ...
across
Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...
. The primary highway leading from the New York ferry landing to US 9 near
Plattsburgh Plattsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding (and separately in ...
, then Cumberland Head Road, was initially unnumbered. VT F-3 was maintained by the towns of South Hero and Grand Isle until June 20, 1957, when the state of
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
assumed ownership and maintenance of the highway. The portion of the
Adirondack Northway Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. I-87 is the main highway that connects New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New Yor ...
(
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) ...
) between exits 36 and 39 was completed and opened to traffic . Moffitt Road was upgraded between the new freeway and US 9 as part of the Northway's construction. By the following year, the upgraded piece of Moffitt Road and the piece of Cumberland Head Road between US 9 and the ferry landing was designated as NY 314. From I-87 to US 9, NY 314 was 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 ...
; the remainder of the route was maintained by
Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York ** Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...
and co-designated as CR 42. VT F-3 was renumbered to VT 314 on May 1, 1964, to match the designation now present at the New York ferry approach.


Cumberland Head connector

The idea of a building a new highway that would lead directly from US 9 to the ferry landing at the southern tip of Cumberland Head was first proposed in 1964. At that time, a group of Cumberland Head residents stated that the existing narrow and winding perimeter road (NY 314) jeopardized the safety of residents and motorists alike. As time went on, the problem grew worse as the amount of traffic traveling to and from the ferry increased. The proposal finally gained traction in 2002 when
New York State Senator The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...
Ronald B. Stafford was able to procure most of the $7.3 million required to build the highway. Construction on the new route began in March 2005 following three years of studies and planning. The Cumberland Head connector began at the east end of the divided highway portion of NY 314 and would pass through the rural interior of the peninsula on its way to the ferry landing. Part of the road would utilize the preexisting Lighthouse Road. It was 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 a speed limit, higher than that of the perimeter road. The project was initially expected to be completed around November 2006; however, it was completed nearly a year ahead of schedule. On December 1, 2005, the new highway was named the Commodore Thomas MacDonough Highway in honor of
Thomas MacDonough Thomas Macdonough, Jr. (December 31, 1783 – November 10, 1825) was a United States Navy officer noted for his roles in the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Macdonough, Sr. who lived near ...
, an American naval officer who defeated the British in the
Battle of Plattsburgh The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévos ...
during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. The road opened to traffic about a week later, co-designated as NY 314 (which was realigned to follow the length of the highway) and CR 57. Following the completion of the project, ownership and maintenance of Cumberland Head Road (NY 314's former routing) was to be transferred from Clinton County to the town of Plattsburgh. The transfer was officially approved on September 13, 2006. The new highway has only two intersections, both with Cumberland Head Road. This was by design as no access roads were built off of the route in an effort to improve safety along the highway. One part of the finished highway that drew controversy was a one-way ramp built between the eastbound MacDonough Highway and the west end of Cumberland Head Road. Some residents criticized the layout, stating that it made it difficult to travel to and from MacDonough Highway and Cumberland Head Road. Ironically, the ramp was added as a result of public input; the initial project designs did not call for a ramp. Instead, all traffic to and from Cumberland Head Road would have had to utilize the junction with MacDonough Highway to the east. The designation of NY 314 east of US 9 was removed by July 2014.


Major intersections

;NY 314 ;VT 314


See also

*
List of county routes in Clinton County, New York County routes in Clinton County, New York, were not signed in any form, until 2015 when it began adding the blue pentagon route shields, serving as little more than references for inventory purposes. CR 45–56 served as spurs to the co ...
* State Route 74 (New York–Vermont) * State Route 346 (New York–Vermont)


References


External links


Vermont State Highway Termini – Vermont Route 314
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Route 314 (New York-Vermont)
314 __NOTOC__ Year 314 ( CCCXIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rufius and Annianus (or, less frequently, year 1067 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 314 ...
314 __NOTOC__ Year 314 ( CCCXIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rufius and Annianus (or, less frequently, year 1067 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 314 ...
New York State Route 314 Vermont Route 314