New York State Route 179
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 179 (NY 179) is a short state highway
located south of Buffalo
in Erie County, New York
, in the United States. It is a four-lane divided road (albeit with traffic light
s) for most of its length. It is known as Mile Strip Road. A small section between U.S. Route 62
(US 62) and NY 5
in Blasdell
, however, is a limited-access highway known as the Mile Strip Expressway.
It connects to two major expressways, 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 Ralph Wilson Stadium
.
NY 179 is the only state highway that intersects with all three U.S. Highways (20, 62 and 219) in the Buffalo area.
, near a huge stamping
plant operated by Ford
. It heads straight east as the Mile Strip Expressway, passing to the south of Blasdell
, with the only interruption in the alignment coming at the junction with South Park Avenue (US 62), where the road changes to an at-grade divided highway
. East of town, NY 179 reaches the Thruway at NY 179's midpoint.
Past the Thruway, with Ralph Wilson Stadium
looming to the south, NY 179 soon reaches its second controlled-access route at the offramps and overpass that mark the US 219 junction. It is a short distance from there to the light at US 20 in Orchard Park
, where 179 ends. Mile Strip Road, however, continues for a considerable distance eastward to County Route 377 (CR 377), just east of Transit Road, itself at that point the rather short NY 187
.
to US 62
, was constructed in the mid-1960s and designated as NY 179 by 1968. 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. The junction between the expressway and Mile Strip Road was initially a four-way intersection, with Mile Strip Road passing east–west through the intersection and NY 179 entering from the south to connect to Thruway exit 56 to the north.
The entirety of Mile Strip Road east of US 62 was initially maintained by Erie County
as CR 460. By 2001, the junction between NY 179, Mile Strip Road, and the Thruway was reconfigured into its current design and NY 179 was extended east to its current terminus at US 20
. CR 460 was then truncated to US 20 on its western end, transferring maintenance of Mile Strip Road from the Thruway to US 20 to the New York State Department of Transportation
.
The Mile Strip Expressway was to be part of an outer loop connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls
. This plan was ultimately cancelled. The only two portions of the outer loop that were constructed are the LaSalle Expressway
east of Niagara Falls and the mile-long Mile Strip Expressway.
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...
located south of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, in the United States. It is a four-lane divided road (albeit with traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
s) for most of its length. It is known as Mile Strip Road. A small section between U.S. Route 62
U.S. Route 62 in New York
U.S. Route 62 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from the United States – Mexico border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of New York, US 62 extends from the New York – Pennsylvania border south of Jamestown to an intersection with...
(US 62) and 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 Blasdell
Blasdell, New York
Blasdell is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,718 according to the year 2000 census. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot...
, however, is a limited-access highway known as the Mile Strip Expressway.
It connects to two major expressways, the New York State 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...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in New York
Interstate 90 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, I-90 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line at Canaan...
or I-90) and the Southern Expressway (US 219
U.S. Route 219 in New York
U.S. Route 219 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Rich Creek, Virginia, to West Seneca, New York. In the U.S. state of New York, US 219 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Carrollton to an interchange with the New York State Thruway at exit 55 in West...
), by way of interchanges. It serves as a connector road between them and three other major routes, 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...
, US 62
U.S. Route 62 in New York
U.S. Route 62 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from the United States – Mexico border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of New York, US 62 extends from the New York – Pennsylvania border south of Jamestown to an intersection with...
, and US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...
. Thus it is very busy not only at rush hours but also after Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' home football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games, due to its proximity to Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
.
NY 179 is the only state highway that intersects with all three U.S. Highways (20, 62 and 219) in the Buffalo area.
Route description
Route 179 begins at an intersection with NY 5 right alongside Lake ErieLake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, near a huge stamping
Stamping (metalworking)
Stamping includes a variety of sheet-metal forming manufacturing processes, such as punching using a machine press or stamping press, blanking, embossing, bending, flanging, and coining. This could be a single stage operation where every stroke of the press produce the desired form on the sheet...
plant operated by Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. It heads straight east as the Mile Strip Expressway, passing to the south of Blasdell
Blasdell, New York
Blasdell is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,718 according to the year 2000 census. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot...
, with the only interruption in the alignment coming at the junction with South Park Avenue (US 62), where the road changes to an at-grade divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
. East of town, NY 179 reaches the Thruway at NY 179's midpoint.
Past the Thruway, with Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
looming to the south, NY 179 soon reaches its second controlled-access route at the offramps and overpass that mark the US 219 junction. It is a short distance from there to the light at US 20 in Orchard Park
Orchard Park (town), New York
Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the...
, where 179 ends. Mile Strip Road, however, continues for a considerable distance eastward to County Route 377 (CR 377), just east of Transit Road, itself at that point the rather short NY 187
New York State Route 187
New York State Route 187 is a short state highway located entirely in Erie County, New York, United States. It serves as the southern end of the busy Transit Road in the town of Elma. Its southern terminus is at Quaker Road and its northern terminus at US 20 where that highway becomes...
.
History
The Mile Strip Expressway, a 1 miles (1.6 km) highway extending from NY 5New 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...
to US 62
U.S. Route 62 in New York
U.S. Route 62 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from the United States – Mexico border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of New York, US 62 extends from the New York – Pennsylvania border south of Jamestown to an intersection with...
, was constructed in the mid-1960s and designated as NY 179 by 1968. A short continuation of the expressway east of US 62 providing direct access to New York State 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...
exit 56 was opened to traffic as an extension of NY 179 at some point in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The junction between the expressway and Mile Strip Road was initially a four-way intersection, with Mile Strip Road passing east–west through the intersection and NY 179 entering from the south to connect to Thruway exit 56 to the north.
The entirety of Mile Strip Road east of US 62 was initially maintained by Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
as CR 460. By 2001, the junction between NY 179, Mile Strip Road, and the Thruway was reconfigured into its current design and NY 179 was extended east to its current terminus at US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...
. CR 460 was then truncated to US 20 on its western end, transferring maintenance of Mile Strip Road from the Thruway to US 20 to 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...
.
The Mile Strip Expressway was to be part of an outer loop connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
. This plan was ultimately cancelled. The only two portions of the outer loop that were constructed are the LaSalle Expressway
LaSalle Expressway
The LaSalle Expressway is a long limited-access highway in Niagara County, New York, United States. It begins near the North Grand Island Bridge at an interchange with Interstate 190 in Niagara Falls and ends just south of the Niagara Falls International Airport at Williams Road in Wheatfield...
east of Niagara Falls and the mile-long Mile Strip Expressway.