New York State Route 103
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 103 (NY 103) is a state highway
in Schenectady County, New York
, in the United States
. It runs from the hamlet of Rotterdam Junction
across the Mohawk River
/Erie Canal
at Lock
9 to the town of Rotterdam. The route is officially only 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) in length and runs from NY 5S
to NY 5
in Schenectady County. It also overlaps part of New York State Bicycle Route 5
in Rotterdam Junction, a hamlet of Rotterdam, New York. The highway heads northward, passing several houses. Of the few intersections along Route 103 (also known as Bridge Street), the first ones are with Alexander Drive and Leonard Road. After the intersection with Riverside Drive, Route 103 passes the only bit of commercial activity along the highway. After the intersection with Ulrich Drive, the highway begins to rise and then starts crossing the steel truss bridge. After the last one-third of the span, there is a view of Erie Canal Lock 9. The route, after crossing the bridge, passes a picnic area. After passing a small patch of trees, Route 103 terminates at an intersection with the northern route of NY 5
in Glenville.
Until the creation of NY 890
, NY 103 was a key link for shunpiking
the nearby Thruway
, as it carried traffic from Amsterdam
and other points west across the Mohawk via NY 5S
to I-890
and Schenectady, avoiding Scotia
. When I-890 was created, there had been a plan to extend it across the river to NY 5
. A couple of unused overpasses were built and ramp routes were built up but unpaved. At that point, NY 5S
ended with traffic entering directly onto I-890, and vice versa.
To avoid or reduce Thruway tolls, motorists from communities such as Amsterdam
, Johnstown
and Gloversville
often would use NY 5 with its four-lane route. NY 5S could be used, but its limitations include being only two-lanes, and having a lower speed limit in Pattersonville. At NY 103, there was an option: Continue on NY 5 and drive the village streets of Scotia
or use NY 103 to cut to 5S and I-890. As a result, from Rotterdam Junction to I-890, there was often a high volume of traffic for the two-lane road. Adding a complication was that the bridge on NY 103 had a steel deck
, which was slippery when wet and always a danger to motorcycles. Such a deck also reduced the weight limit of the bridge. One might actually be stopped on the bridge, as there is no traffic signal at NY 5S.
With the completion of the NY 890 bridge over the Mohawk River
, NY 103 ceased to have the same importance as before. It was temporarily closed, and the bridge was reconstructed to have its current concrete deck. Today, NY 103 remains and is the only access to Lock 9 of the Erie Canal
, with its picnic and fishing area.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It runs from the hamlet of Rotterdam Junction
Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction, New York
Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction is a census-designated place in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 918 at the 2000 census....
across the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
/Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
at Lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
9 to the town of Rotterdam. The route is officially only 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) in length and runs from NY 5S
New York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S is an east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 5, NY 5A, NY 8, and NY 12 in Utica to a smaller interchange with NY 890 in Rotterdam...
to NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
in Schenectady County. It also overlaps part of New York State Bicycle Route 5
Route description
Route 103 begins at an intersection with NY 5SNew York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S is an east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 5, NY 5A, NY 8, and NY 12 in Utica to a smaller interchange with NY 890 in Rotterdam...
in Rotterdam Junction, a hamlet of Rotterdam, New York. The highway heads northward, passing several houses. Of the few intersections along Route 103 (also known as Bridge Street), the first ones are with Alexander Drive and Leonard Road. After the intersection with Riverside Drive, Route 103 passes the only bit of commercial activity along the highway. After the intersection with Ulrich Drive, the highway begins to rise and then starts crossing the steel truss bridge. After the last one-third of the span, there is a view of Erie Canal Lock 9. The route, after crossing the bridge, passes a picnic area. After passing a small patch of trees, Route 103 terminates at an intersection with the northern route of NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
in Glenville.
History
NY 103 was assigned in the early 1930s to its current alignment.Until the creation of NY 890
New York State Route 890
New York State Route 890 is a long state highway located northwest of downtown Schenectady in the Capital District of New York. Although the route runs north–south, it is signed as east–west to match the posted direction of Interstate 890, of which NY 890 is an...
, NY 103 was a key link for shunpiking
Shunpiking
The term shunpiking comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which are roads that require payment of a toll to travel on them...
the nearby Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
, as it carried traffic from Amsterdam
Amsterdam (city), New York
Amsterdam is a city located in Montgomery County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 18,620. The name is derived from the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands....
and other points west across the Mohawk via NY 5S
New York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S is an east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 5, NY 5A, NY 8, and NY 12 in Utica to a smaller interchange with NY 890 in Rotterdam...
to I-890
Interstate 890
Interstate 890 is a long auxiliary Interstate Highway in the vicinity of Schenectady, New York, United States. The highway runs southeast–northwest from an interchange with the New York State Thruway northwest of Schenectady to another junction with the Thruway south of the city and passes...
and Schenectady, avoiding Scotia
Scotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
. When I-890 was created, there had been a plan to extend it across the river to NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
. A couple of unused overpasses were built and ramp routes were built up but unpaved. At that point, NY 5S
New York State Route 5S
New York State Route 5S is an east–west state highway located in the Mohawk Valley of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 5, NY 5A, NY 8, and NY 12 in Utica to a smaller interchange with NY 890 in Rotterdam...
ended with traffic entering directly onto I-890, and vice versa.
To avoid or reduce Thruway tolls, motorists from communities such as Amsterdam
Amsterdam (city), New York
Amsterdam is a city located in Montgomery County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 18,620. The name is derived from the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands....
, Johnstown
Johnstown (city), New York
Johnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
and Gloversville
Gloversville, New York
Gloversville is a city in Fulton County, New York, that was once the hub of America's glovemaking industry with over two hundred manufacturers in Gloversville and Johnstown. In 2000, Gloversville had a population of 15,413. Ten years later, the population had increased to 15,665- History :The...
often would use NY 5 with its four-lane route. NY 5S could be used, but its limitations include being only two-lanes, and having a lower speed limit in Pattersonville. At NY 103, there was an option: Continue on NY 5 and drive the village streets of Scotia
Scotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
or use NY 103 to cut to 5S and I-890. As a result, from Rotterdam Junction to I-890, there was often a high volume of traffic for the two-lane road. Adding a complication was that the bridge on NY 103 had a steel deck
Deck (bridge)
A bridge deck or road bed is the roadway, or the pedestrian walkway, surface of a bridge. It is not to be confused with any deck of a ship.The deck may be of concrete,wood which in turn may be covered with asphalt concrete or other pavement...
, which was slippery when wet and always a danger to motorcycles. Such a deck also reduced the weight limit of the bridge. One might actually be stopped on the bridge, as there is no traffic signal at NY 5S.
With the completion of the NY 890 bridge over the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
, NY 103 ceased to have the same importance as before. It was temporarily closed, and the bridge was reconstructed to have its current concrete deck. Today, NY 103 remains and is the only access to Lock 9 of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, with its picnic and fishing area.