Inner Loop (Rochester)
Encyclopedia
The Inner Loop is an expressway that encloses downtown Rochester, New York
, in the United States
. Although the expressway is a continuous loop, only the portion of the loop north of Interstate 490
(I-490) is signed as the "Inner Loop". The official western terminus of the Inner Loop is at I-490 exit 13 in the shadow of Frontier Field
west of downtown, while the eastern terminus is at I-490 exits 15 and 16 directly south of downtown on the east bank of the Genesee River
. North of I-490, the loop is designated New York State Route 940T (NY 940T), an unsigned reference route, by the New York State Department of Transportation
. This segment, however, is visibly signed with unique orange trapezoidal shields with the words "Inner Loop" in white.
Construction of the Inner Loop began in the early 1950s—when the city's population was well over 300,000 and 33% higher than it was in 2000—and completed in 1965. Over the past decade, traffic volume has remained constant on the roadway in some areas; however, overall usage from its completion to today has declined as jobs and residents continue to migrate away from the inner city. Due to its shape and location, the Inner Loop is seen as a divider, both physically and mentally, between downtown and the rest of the city, one that defines a definite center for Rochester.
, beginning, from west to east, at I-490
exit 13, a directional T interchange adjacent to Frontier Field
, the home of the Rochester Red Wings
. It heads to the northeast, passing Frontier Field and the High Falls business district as it runs parallel to the CSX Transportation
-owned Rochester Subdivision
railroad line. About 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from I-490, the Inner Loop and the Rochester Subdivision both cross the Genesee River
just south of where the river goes over High Falls. On the other side of the river, the highway turns toward the east, separating from the railroad a short distance southwest of Rochester's Amtrak station
on Central Avenue. This is also the location of the first exit on the Inner Loop heading east—with Saint Paul Street and Clinton and Joseph Avenues—and is the beginning of the frontage road
s that run parallel to the loop along its length.
East of Joseph Avenue, the route descends below grade-level and begins to run through a cut
as it proceeds eastward across the northern edge of downtown. After passing under North Street, the Inner Loop begins to turn southward, connecting with both Scio and East Main Streets in the process. While the interchange with East Main Street is a right exit heading counterclockwise on the loop, it is a left exit heading clockwise, forcing the exit ramp to pass over the loop's counterclockwise lanes in order to reach Main Street. Past the Main Street overpass, the Inner Loop curves slightly to the southwest, running along the western edge of North Union Street. During this stretch, the highway connects to East Avenue (NY 96
) and Broad Street. As the Inner Loop begins to pass The Strong
, it turns one final time to the west, linking to Monroe (NY 31
) and Clinton (NY 15
) Avenues before rejoining I-490 at exits 15 (eastbound) and 16 (westbound).
The Inner Loop is closed and completed by I-490, creating a continuous beltway of limited-access highways around downtown Rochester. However, the I-490 portion of the loop is signed only as I-490, and the only section of the loop that is signed as the Inner Loop is the 2.68 miles (4.31 km) segment designated as the unsigned
NY 940T. Due to its proximity to downtown, the loop creates a division, both physically and mentally, between downtown Rochester and the remainder of the city. The only areas where it is possible to traverse the Inner Loop is where roadways cross the Loop via bridges over or under the highway.
In 2011 the Rochester Contemporary Art Center held an exhibition called State of the City 2011: In The Loop which took Rochester’s unmistakable, often maligned, and nearly 50-year-old ring highway “The Inner Loop” as a departure point. The artists in the exhibition employed diverse methods such as traditional landscape painting, photo documentation, interactive video, and psychogeography to consider and discuss the history, present moment, and future of Downtown Rochester. This vital series of exhibitions continues to generate important discussions across the art community and foster productive collaborations between artists, cultural institutions, urban planning/architecture professionals and the general public in Upstate/Western NY. http://www.rochestercontemporary.org/state_11.html
was conceived in the 1950s. At the time, the population of Rochester was roughly 332,000, which translated into poor traffic conditions within downtown. Despite some political obstacles, construction on the highway began in the early 1950s. Many structures were demolished to make way for the route, which was constructed in a cut
through the densely populated neighborhoods that surrounded downtown. In 1965, an opening ceremony headlined by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller
officially opened the Inner Loop to traffic. The final price tag on the loop's construction was $34 million (equivalent to $ in ). The southern part of the Loop was incorporated into the newly-constructed I-490
upon completion while the rest is designated as NY 940T, an unsigned reference route.
In the time since the Loop's construction, the population of Rochester has dropped to 219,773 as of the 2000 census—a reduction of a full one-third. As a result, traffic on the Inner Loop has declined accordingly. While traffic volume on the I-490 and northwestern portions of the loop have remained relatively high, the section east of the Genesee River
has seen sharp declines in recent years. Proposals to alter this section of the Inner Loop have been presented, but none have been acted upon. One proposal in 2005, which had mounted merit for federal monetary aid, would have reduced the number of lanes on the loop between Clinton Avenue and Main Street to make room for additional shops and businesses on the streets adjacent to the Inner Loop. Another that was studied in 2009 called for the portion of the Loop from Main Street to Monroe Avenue (NY 31
) to be completely filled in. The estimated cost of this project was $25 million. The findings of the studies were scheduled to be released in August 2009; however, no action, if any, is expected to be taken in the near future.
|0.00
|
|
|I-490 joins CCW and leaves CW; Inner Loop CW takes exit 13 from I-490 west
|-
|0.38
|
|State Street / North Plymouth Avenue
|CCW exit and CW entrance
|-
|0.73
|
|St. Paul Street / Clinton Avenue / Joseph Avenue – Downtown
|-
|1.01
|
|Scio Street
|CW exit and CCW entrance
|-
|1.17
|
|East Main Street / University Avenue
|No CW entrance
|-
|1.32
|
|East Avenue (NY 96
) / Broad Street
|No CCW entrance
|-
|2.11
|
|
|
|-
|2.33
|
|
|CW exit and CCW exit
|-
|2.68
|
|
|No CCW entrance; I-490 joins CW and leaves CCW; Inner Loop CCW takes exit 15 from I-490 east
|-
|
|14
|Broad Street / Plymouth Avenue
|CW exit and CCW entrance
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Although the expressway is a continuous loop, only the portion of the loop north of Interstate 490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...
(I-490) is signed as the "Inner Loop". The official western terminus of the Inner Loop is at I-490 exit 13 in the shadow of Frontier Field
Frontier Field
Frontier Field is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. The park opened in 1996, replacing Silver Stadium in northern Rochester, which had been home to professional baseball in Rochester since 1929...
west of downtown, while the eastern terminus is at I-490 exits 15 and 16 directly south of downtown on the east bank of the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
. North of I-490, the loop is designated New York State Route 940T (NY 940T), an unsigned reference route, by the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
. This segment, however, is visibly signed with unique orange trapezoidal shields with the words "Inner Loop" in white.
Construction of the Inner Loop began in the early 1950s—when the city's population was well over 300,000 and 33% higher than it was in 2000—and completed in 1965. Over the past decade, traffic volume has remained constant on the roadway in some areas; however, overall usage from its completion to today has declined as jobs and residents continue to migrate away from the inner city. Due to its shape and location, the Inner Loop is seen as a divider, both physically and mentally, between downtown and the rest of the city, one that defines a definite center for Rochester.
Route description
The Inner Loop encircles downtown RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, beginning, from west to east, at I-490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...
exit 13, a directional T interchange adjacent to Frontier Field
Frontier Field
Frontier Field is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. The park opened in 1996, replacing Silver Stadium in northern Rochester, which had been home to professional baseball in Rochester since 1929...
, the home of the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. It heads to the northeast, passing Frontier Field and the High Falls business district as it runs parallel to the CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
-owned Rochester Subdivision
Rochester Subdivision
The Rochester Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Syracuse west to Buffalo along the former New York Central Railroad main line. At its east end, west of downtown Syracuse, the line becomes the Mohawk Subdivision...
railroad line. About 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) from I-490, the Inner Loop and the Rochester Subdivision both cross the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
just south of where the river goes over High Falls. On the other side of the river, the highway turns toward the east, separating from the railroad a short distance southwest of Rochester's Amtrak station
Rochester (Amtrak station)
Rochester is a station on the Empire Service Amtrak line, located in Rochester, New York.All trains use the platform adjacent to the station building, meaning both eastbound and westbound trains must switch to the southern track...
on Central Avenue. This is also the location of the first exit on the Inner Loop heading east—with Saint Paul Street and Clinton and Joseph Avenues—and is the beginning of the frontage road
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s that run parallel to the loop along its length.
East of Joseph Avenue, the route descends below grade-level and begins to run through a cut
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
as it proceeds eastward across the northern edge of downtown. After passing under North Street, the Inner Loop begins to turn southward, connecting with both Scio and East Main Streets in the process. While the interchange with East Main Street is a right exit heading counterclockwise on the loop, it is a left exit heading clockwise, forcing the exit ramp to pass over the loop's counterclockwise lanes in order to reach Main Street. Past the Main Street overpass, the Inner Loop curves slightly to the southwest, running along the western edge of North Union Street. During this stretch, the highway connects to East Avenue (NY 96
New York State Route 96
New York State Route 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 NY 17 in the Southern Tier village of Owego, Tioga County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
) and Broad Street. As the Inner Loop begins to pass The Strong
The Strong
The Strong is an interactive, collections-based educational institution in Rochester, New York, USA, devoted to the study and exploration of play...
, it turns one final time to the west, linking to Monroe (NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
) and Clinton (NY 15
New York State Route 15
New York State Route 15 is a north–south state highway located in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is officially at Interstate 390 exit 3 south of the village of Wayland, although some signage indicating that NY 15 continues south to...
) Avenues before rejoining I-490 at exits 15 (eastbound) and 16 (westbound).
The Inner Loop is closed and completed by I-490, creating a continuous beltway of limited-access highways around downtown Rochester. However, the I-490 portion of the loop is signed only as I-490, and the only section of the loop that is signed as the Inner Loop is the 2.68 miles (4.31 km) segment designated as the unsigned
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
NY 940T. Due to its proximity to downtown, the loop creates a division, both physically and mentally, between downtown Rochester and the remainder of the city. The only areas where it is possible to traverse the Inner Loop is where roadways cross the Loop via bridges over or under the highway.
In 2011 the Rochester Contemporary Art Center held an exhibition called State of the City 2011: In The Loop which took Rochester’s unmistakable, often maligned, and nearly 50-year-old ring highway “The Inner Loop” as a departure point. The artists in the exhibition employed diverse methods such as traditional landscape painting, photo documentation, interactive video, and psychogeography to consider and discuss the history, present moment, and future of Downtown Rochester. This vital series of exhibitions continues to generate important discussions across the art community and foster productive collaborations between artists, cultural institutions, urban planning/architecture professionals and the general public in Upstate/Western NY. http://www.rochestercontemporary.org/state_11.html
History
The idea for a beltway around RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
was conceived in the 1950s. At the time, the population of Rochester was roughly 332,000, which translated into poor traffic conditions within downtown. Despite some political obstacles, construction on the highway began in the early 1950s. Many structures were demolished to make way for the route, which was constructed in a cut
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
through the densely populated neighborhoods that surrounded downtown. In 1965, an opening ceremony headlined by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
officially opened the Inner Loop to traffic. The final price tag on the loop's construction was $34 million (equivalent to $ in ). The southern part of the Loop was incorporated into the newly-constructed I-490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...
upon completion while the rest is designated as NY 940T, an unsigned reference route.
In the time since the Loop's construction, the population of Rochester has dropped to 219,773 as of the 2000 census—a reduction of a full one-third. As a result, traffic on the Inner Loop has declined accordingly. While traffic volume on the I-490 and northwestern portions of the loop have remained relatively high, the section east of the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
has seen sharp declines in recent years. Proposals to alter this section of the Inner Loop have been presented, but none have been acted upon. One proposal in 2005, which had mounted merit for federal monetary aid, would have reduced the number of lanes on the loop between Clinton Avenue and Main Street to make room for additional shops and businesses on the streets adjacent to the Inner Loop. Another that was studied in 2009 called for the portion of the Loop from Main Street to Monroe Avenue (NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
) to be completely filled in. The estimated cost of this project was $25 million. The findings of the studies were scheduled to be released in August 2009; however, no action, if any, is expected to be taken in the near future.
Exit list
|-|0.00
|
|
|I-490 joins CCW and leaves CW; Inner Loop CW takes exit 13 from I-490 west
|-
|0.38
|
|State Street / North Plymouth Avenue
|CCW exit and CW entrance
|-
|0.73
|
|St. Paul Street / Clinton Avenue / Joseph Avenue – Downtown
|-
|1.01
|
|Scio Street
|CW exit and CCW entrance
|-
|1.17
|
|East Main Street / University Avenue
|No CW entrance
|-
|1.32
|
|East Avenue (NY 96
New York State Route 96
New York State Route 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 NY 17 in the Southern Tier village of Owego, Tioga County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
) / Broad Street
|No CCW entrance
|-
|2.11
|
|
|
|-
|2.33
|
|
|CW exit and CCW exit
|-
|2.68
|
|
|No CCW entrance; I-490 joins CW and leaves CCW; Inner Loop CCW takes exit 15 from I-490 east
|-
|
|14
|Broad Street / Plymouth Avenue
|CW exit and CCW entrance