New York State Route 179
{{Short description|State highway in Erie County, New York, US}}
{{About|the current alignment of NY 179|the former alignment of NY 179 in Jefferson County|New York State Route 180}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox road
|state=NY
|type=NY
|route=179
|map={{maplink-road|from=New York State Route 179.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Map of the Buffalo area with NY 179 highlighted in red
|length_mi=4.40
|length_round=2
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=NY|NY|5}} in Hamburg
|junction={{plainlist|
- {{jct|state=NY|US|62}} in Blasdell
- {{jct|state=NY|I|90|NYST}} in Hamburg
- {{jct|state=NY|US|219}} in Orchard Park
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=NY|US|20|CR|460|nolink2=yes|county2=Erie}} in Orchard Park
|counties=Erie
|previous_type=NY
|previous_route=178
|next_type=NY
|next_route=180
}}
New York State Route 179 (NY 179) is a short {{convert|4.40|mi|km|adj=on}} long state highway located south of Buffalo in Erie County, New York, in the United States. It is known as Milestrip Road for most of its length. A small section between U.S. Route 62 (US 62) and NY 5 in Blasdell, is a freeway known as the Mile Strip Expressway. It connects to two major freeways, the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 or I-90) and the Southern Expressway (US 219), by way of interchanges. It serves as a connector road between them and three other major routes, NY 5, US 62, and US 20. Thus it is very busy not only at rush hours, but also after Buffalo Bills' home football games due to its proximity to Highmark Stadium.
The Mile Strip Expressway was first constructed in the 1960s from NY 5 in Hamburg to US 62 in Blasdell. By 1968, it received its NY 179 designation. This was extended to the Thruway in the next decade and by 2001, was extended to its current eastern terminus at US 20 in Orchard Park. Although never constructed as such, the Mile Strip was intended to be a portion of the Belt Expressway, an outer loop for the city of Buffalo.
Route description
File:NY 179W approaching NY 5.jpg
NY 179 begins at an interchange with NY 5 (Lake Shore Road) near the shores Lake Erie in Woodlawn Beach State Park. NY 179 proceeds eastward through the town of Hamburg as the Mile Strip Expressway, running north as a four-lane freeway north of a stamping plant, operated by the Ford Motor Company. Just after the stamping plant, NY 179 enters its first interchange, Milestrip Road, which connects to NY 179 east via a jughandle. Crossing into the town of Blasdell, the freeway crosses over three separate railroad grades consecutively before crossing into downtown Blasdell. In Blasdell, another railroad crosses the freeway after an interchange with Jeffrey Boulevard. A short distance later, NY 179 intersects with US 62 (South Park Avenue), where the freeway ends and NY 179 becomes the four-lane surface road known as Milestrip Road.{{bing maps|url=http://binged.it/MHKdkg|title=overview map of NY 179|access-date=May 23, 2012}}
After re-crossing into Hamburg, NY 179 continues eastward as Milestrip Road, entering a large interchange with the New York State Thruway (I-90 exit 56), which connects via trumpet interchange. After bending northeast, the route crosses over the Thruway, passing north and south of several strip malls until an intersection with CR 204 (McKinley Parkway). After CR 204, NY 179 passes north of McKinley Mall, proceeding eastward as a four-lane undivided expressway past several residences before bending northeast, intersecting with CR 4 (Abbott Road) in the town of Orchard Park.
File:NY 179 east in Orchard Park.jpg
After CR 4, NY 179 proceeds east through Orchard Park intersecting the northern terminus of CR 461 (California Road). After crossing under another railroad, NY 179 passes south of several strip malls in Orchard Park. The route soon becomes a four-lane divided expressway, entering a cloverleaf interchange with US 219 (the Southern Expressway). After the interchange, NY 179 proceeds eastward between several strip malls, soon intersecting with US 20 (Southwestern Boulevard), where NY 179 terminates. CR 460 continues eastward along Milestrip Road to NY 187.
History
The Mile Strip Expressway, a {{convert|1|mi|1|adj=on}} highway extending from NY 5 to US 62, was constructed in the mid-1960s and designated as NY 179 by 1968.{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=Mobil |cartography=Rand McNally and Company |year=1965}}{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=Esso |year=1968 |edition=1969–70 |cartography=General Drafting}} A short continuation of the expressway east of US 62 providing direct access to New York State Thruway exit 56 was opened to traffic as an extension of NY 179 at some point in the late 1970s or early 1980s.{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=Exxon |year=1979 |cartography=General Drafting}}{{cite map |title=I Love New York Tourism Map |publisher=State of New York |cartography=Rand McNally and Company |year=1981}} The junction between the expressway and Milestrip Road was initially a four-way intersection, with Milestrip Road passing east–west through the intersection and NY 179 entering from the south to connect to Thruway exit 56 to the north.{{cite map |url=http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/quads/drg24/dotpreview/index.cfm?code=r8 |title=Buffalo SE Digital Raster Quadrangle |publisher=New York State Department of Transportation |year=1989 |scale=1:24,000 |access-date=May 11, 2010 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919224529/http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/quads/drg24/dotpreview/index.cfm?code=r8 |url-status=dead }}
The entirety of Milestrip Road east of US 62 was initially maintained by Erie County as CR 460. The intersection between NY 179 and US 62 was originally planned as an overpass, but was later constructed as an at-grade intersection.{{cite news |title=Out of the Past: South Park Avenue at Milestrip Road, Blasdell, 1948 & 2000 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77950504/ |access-date=19 May 2021 |work=The Sun and the Erie County Independent |date=2000-11-30 |pages=10}} By 2001, the junction between NY 179, Milestrip Road, and the Thruway was reconfigured into its current design and NY 179 was extended east to its current terminus at US 20.{{cite map |publisher=National Geographic Society |title=Road Atlas – United States–Canada–Mexico |year=2001 |cartography=Mapquest |page=76 |inset=Buffalo–Niagara Falls |isbn=1-57262-547-3}} CR 460 was then truncated to US 20 on its western end, transferring maintenance of Milestrip Road from the Thruway to US 20 to the New York State Department of Transportation.{{cite web |url=http://www.erie.gov/assessment.pdf |format=PDF |title=Erie County Highway Pavement Condition Assessment Report |date=October 2001 |page=45 |publisher=Erie County Department of Public Works |access-date=April 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327021821/http://www.erie.gov/assessment.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2009 }}{{cite web |author=New York State Legislature |author-link=New York State Legislature |url=http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/LAWSSEAF.cgi?QUERYTYPE=LAWS+&QUERYDATA=$$HAY341$$@TXHAY0341+&LIST=LAW+&TARGET=VIEW |title=New York State Highway Law § 341 |access-date=May 11, 2010}}
The Mile Strip Expressway was to be part of the Belt Expressway, an outer loop connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls. This plan was ultimately cancelled. The only two portions of the loop that were constructed are the LaSalle Expressway east of Niagara Falls and the mile-long Mile Strip Expressway.{{cite map |title=Regional Highway Plan for Buffalo and Niagara Falls |year=1971 |publisher=City of Niagara Falls |url=http://www.gribblenation.net/nypics/planned/buffalo/buffalo.jpg |access-date=May 11, 2010}}
Major intersections
{{NYinttop|length_ref={{cite web |url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Volume%20Report%202008.pdf |title=2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State |date=June 16, 2009 |format=PDF |page=179 |publisher=New York State Department of Transportation |access-date=January 30, 2010}}|county=Erie}}
{{NYint
|location=Hamburg
|area=town
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=NY|NY|5|name1=Lake Shore Road|location1=Buffalo Outer Harbor}}
|notes=Western terminus
}}
{{NYint
|location=Blasdell
|lspan=4
|road=Milestrip Road
}}
{{NYint
|road=Martin Avenue
}}
{{NYint
|mile=1.14
|mspan=2
|place=Eastern end of freeway section
}}
{{NYint
|mile=none
|road={{jct|state=NY|US|62|name1=South Park Avenue|city1=Blasdell}}
}}
{{NYint
|location=Hamburg
|area=town
|lspan=2
|mile=1.33
|road={{jct|state=NY|I|90|NYST|city1=Buffalo|location2=Erie}}
|notes=Exit 56 on I-90 / Thruway
}}
{{NYint
|place=Western end of limited-access section
}}
{{NYint
|location=Orchard Park
|area=town
|lspan=2
|mile=3.68
|road={{jct|state=NY|US|219|name1=Southern Expressway|city1=Orchard Park|areadab1=village|city2=Buffalo}}
|notes=Cloverleaf interchange
}}
{{NYint
|mile=4.40
|road={{jct|state=NY|US|20|CR|460|nolink2=yes|dir2=east|county2=Erie|name1=Southwestern Boulevard|name2=Milestrip Road}}
|notes=Eastern terminus; at-grade intersection
}}
{{NYintbtm}}
See also
- {{Portal-inline|U.S. roads}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Attached KML}}
{{commons category}}
{{NYSR external links|type=N|nyroutes=yes|termini=yes|route=179|alps=yes}}