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U.S. Route 44 in New York

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U.S. Route 44 marker

U.S. Route 44

Route information
Maintained by New York State Department of Transportation
Length65.98 mi[1] (106.18 km)
Existed1935[2]–present
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountiesUlster, Dutchess
Highway system
← NY 43→ NY 45

U.S. Route 44 in the state of New York is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Hudson Valley region of the state. Its entire 65.98-mile (106.18 km) length is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation. The route begins at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in the hamlet of Kerhonkson and ends at the Connecticut state line near the village of Millerton. The road passes through rural parts of Ulster and Dutchess Counties before crossing into Litchfield County, Connecticut.

Most of the route in Dutchess County was once part of the Dutchess Turnpike, an early road interconnecting Poughkeepsie to various settlements in Dutchess County. US 44 was designated in 1935 and had no major changes in alignment until June 2007, when it was relocated onto a bypass of the village of Millbrook. The former designation of the bypass route, Route 44A, was deleted as a result of the relocation. Route 44A signs were taken down in April 2008, with US 44's original alignment through Millbrook becoming unsigned reference route 984P.

Route description

US 44 and NY 55 in Orchards near downtown Plattekill

US 44 begins at US 209/NY 55 in the hamlet of Kerhonkson in Ulster County. NY 55, concurrent with US 209 south of the hamlet, turns east onto US 44, forming an overlap as the two routes proceed eastward across Ulster County. Midway between Kerhonkson and Gardiner and just north of New York State Route 299, US 44 and NY 55 traverse a hairpin turn made necessary by the surrounding Shawangunk Ridge.[3]

Hairpin turn on US 44 and NY 55 near Mohonk Preserve in New York's Shawangunk Mountains.

Farther east, the road passes through the hamlets of Gardiner and Clintondale, and meets U.S. Route 9W in the hamlet of Highland. Just inside of Gardiner, the highway passes through Minnewaska State Park, a large state park in the Hudson Valley. US 44 and NY 55 join US 9W for roughly a half-mile southward along the western bank of the Hudson River before separating at a trumpet interchange south of Highland. One mile east of US 9W, US 44 and NY 55 cross the Hudson on the Mid-Hudson Bridge.[3]

On the opposite bank in Dutchess County, US 44 and NY 55 enter the city of Poughkeepsie. In the downtown area, US 44/NY 55 interchanges with U.S. Route 9 before splitting into a pair of parallel one-way streets. At the eastern end of the parallel roadways in Arlington, just outside of Poughkeepsie, US 44 and NY 55 split upon meeting Main Street at an interchange. NY 55 continues southeast through the junction as Manchester Road; US 44, however, joins Main Street to the northeast along what becomes the Dutchess Turnpike. West of the interchange, state maintenance continues along Main Street (designated Reference Route 983W, an unsigned reference route) for an additional 0.19 miles (0.31 km) to County Route 38 (Fairmont Avenue).[4] Past CR 38, Main Street becomes County Route 114.

The exit for US 44/NY 55 near the Mid-Hudson Bridge from US 9

Between Poughkeepsie and Amenia, US 44 progresses northeast, intersecting the Taconic State Parkway near Washington Hollow and bypassing the village of Millbrook to the north. The Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum, one of Millbrook's primary attractions, is located on US 44. In Amenia, US 44 intersects New York State Route 22 and New York State Route 343 in the center of the community. US 44 turns north, joining NY 22 on a seven-mile (11 km) overlap to Millerton. At Millerton, US 44 turns east, splitting from NY 22 and crossing into Connecticut.[3]

History

The portion of US 44 between Poughkeepsie and Amenia was the main line of an early toll road known as the Dutchess Turnpike.[5] The turnpike continued past Amenia into the Connecticut town of Sharon along modern NY 343. Between the Walkill River near the hamlet of Gardiner and the hamlet of Ardonia, modern US 44 was also roughly located along another early toll road known as the Farmer's Turnpike.[6][7] The Farmer's Turnpike continued east past Ardonia to the village of Milton where a ferry across the Hudson River once existed.[8]

In 1924, when state highways were first marked by route numbers in New York, the main line of the Dutchess Turnpike was designated as New York State Route 21. Other portions of modern US 44, aside from the NY 22 overlap, were unnumbered in the 1920s.[9] In the 1930 state highway renumbering, the old NY 21 was partitioned into three numbered routes. Between Poughkeepsie and South Millbrook, old 21 became the western half of Route 200, which continued east to Dover Plains using the Dover branch route of the Dutchess Turnpike (modern NY 343). The section from South Millbrook to Amenia became part of Route 82A, which continued past Amenia to Pine Plains. The easternmost section from Amenia to the Connecticut line was designated as Route 343. West of the Hudson River, Route 55 was also designated in 1930 between Barryville and Pawling, running along the portion of modern US 44 between Kerhonkson and Poughkeepsie.[9][10]

Former NY 44A in February 2008; signs were not taken down for two more months

US 44 was designated along its modern alignment at the beginning of 1935. West of the Hudson, it was overlaid on already existing NY 55, with US 44 officially beginning at US 209, which was extended into New York in 1935.[11] East of the Hudson, US 44 was assigned to the original Dutchess Turnpike main line to Amenia and to the short piece of former NY 199 between NY 22 and the Connecticut line. The two sections were connected via an overlap with NY 22.[8]

Until June 2007, US 44 entered Millbrook via New York State Route 82, North Avenue, and Franklin Avenue while New York State Route 44A bypassed the village to the west and north.[12] On June 5, the New York State Department of Transportation announced that US 44 would be permanently realigned onto NY 44A. All shields along NY 44A would be replaced with US 44 signage,[13] and NY 44A will be decommissioned. NYSDOT will continue to perform maintenance on US 44's former routing through Millbrook.[14] The former routing is now unsigned reference route NY 984P.

Major intersections

A directional assembly showing the US 9W/US 44/NY 55 overlap west of the Mid-Hudson Bridge.
CountyLocationmi[4]kmDestinationsNotes
UlsterKerhonkson0.000.00 US 209 / NY 55Begin/end concurrency (44-55)
Town of Gardiner10.4216.77 NY 299
Ireland Corners16.3026.23 NY 208
Modena17.7628.58 NY 32
Highland27.6844.55 US 9WBegin/end concurrency
28.2445.45 US 9WBegin/end concurrency
DutchessCity of Poughkeepsie30.4949.07 US 9
32.0551.58 NY 115
Arlington32.4652.24 NY 376
32.7252.66 NY 55Begin/end concurrency (44-55)
Washington Hollow41.8667.37 Taconic Parkway
Pleasant Valley42.5768.51 NY 82Begin/end concurrency
Millbrook43.7170.34 NY 82Begin/end concurrency
Hamlet of Amenia56.3990.75 NY 22 / NY 343Begin/end concurrency (44-22)
North East63.39102.02 NY 199
Millerton64.98104.58 NY 22Begin/end concurrency (44-22)
65.98106.18 US 44Continues into Connecticut
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ Template:PDFlink
  2. ^ "New York Routes - U.S. Route 20". Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  3. ^ a b c 1977-2007 I love New York state map (Map). I Love New York. 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Traffic Data Report - NY 953B to NY 992P" (PDF). NYSDOT. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
  5. ^ Newton Reed. Early History of Amenia. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  6. ^ The Revised Statutes of the State of New-York, Volume III, 1829, pp. 587–624
  7. ^ Henry S. Tanner, 1823 and 1825 maps of New York, accessed via the David Rumsey Map Collection
  8. ^ a b Dutchess County Unit Federal Writers' Project (1937). American Guide Series: Dutchess County. William Penn Association of Philadelphia. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Leon A. Dickinson (1930-01-12). "New Signs for State Highways". The New York Times. p. 136. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering
  11. ^ Road Map & Historical Guide - New York (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Sun Oil Company. 1935.
  12. ^ New York State Department of Transportation (October 2007). "Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycling Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  13. ^ "NY 44 Being Rerouted to Bypass Village of Millbrook (Dutchess County)". Retrieved 2007-08-09.
  14. ^ Michael Woyton (2007-06-13). "Millbrook truck flow to decrease with reroute". Poughkeepsie Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)


U.S. Route 44
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