New York State Route 12

NYS Route 12
Length:	222.27 mi[1] (357.71 km)
Formed:	1924[2]
South end:	US 11 in Chenango
Major junctions:	NY 23 in Norwich US 20 in Sangerfield I-790 / NY 5 / NY 8 in Utica US 11 / NY 3 in Watertown I-81 in Orleans
North end:	NY 37 in Morristown
Counties:	Broome, Chenango, Madison, Oneida, Lewis, Jefferson, St. Lawrence
Numbered highways in New York < NY 11C NY 12B > Interstate – U.S. – N.Y. (former) – Reference

New York State Route 12 is a state highway extending for 222.27 miles (357.71 km) through central and northern New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in the town of Chenango (just north of Binghamton) in the Southern Tier. The northern terminus is at NY 37 near the village of Morristown in the North Country. In between, the route serves three cities of varying size: Norwich, Utica, and Watertown. The distance between Utica and Binghamton is a major trucking route, and features many gas stations, truck stops, and fast food restaurants. Between Watertown and Morristown, it follows the St. Lawrence River valley.

It is a two lane, undivided, full access roadway for the majority of its length, except between the village of New Hartford and Alder Creek, where it is a 4-lane highway. Within that span, it is a limited access highway in the city of Utica, referred locally as The Arterial and the North-South Arterial.

Route 12 intersects several primary east-west routes, including U.S. Route 20, NY 5, and NY 3. From Barneveld to the town of Remsen (a distance of 11 miles (18 km), NY 12 overlaps NY 28. NY 12 also intersects US 11 twice: once at its beginning in Binghamton and once in Watertown. Between these intersections, NY 12 arcs eastward from US 11, with the stretch right after Utica being its eastern apex. NY 12 also connects with Interstate 81 near both its beginning and end points in the same manner.

NY 12, as originally assigned in 1924, extended from Chenango in the south to Clayton in the north. It was extended east over the former routing of NY 3 to Alexandria Bay in 1930, then along a new roadway to Morristown in the 1960s. Parts of NY 12 have been rerouted onto new roadways in areas, primarily in Oneida County.

Route description

Broome and Chenango Counties

NY 12 begins at U.S. Route 11 north of Binghamton in the central Broome County town of Chenango. The route heads north through the Chenango River valley, connecting to both Interstate 81 (via US 11) and Interstate 88 (via NY 12A) and passing west of Chenango Valley State Park before traversing the Tioughnioga River (just west of where it forks from the Chenango) near the community of Chenango Forks. On the northern bank of the river, NY 12 intersects and briefly overlaps NY 79 before continuing northward through the valley and into Chenango County.

NY 12 begins its 200+ mile journey here at U.S. 11 just north of Binghamton in Chenango.

Within Chenango County, NY 12 acts as the primary connector between the numerous communities located along the Chenango. In Greene, NY 12 intersects NY 206 and overlaps NY 41 for six blocks through the village before continuing northeast for 12 miles (19 km) to Oxford, home to a short concurrency with NY 220. After another 6 miles (9.7 km), NY 12 enters the city of Norwich, the largest settlement on the route in the county, and becomes South Broad Street. The South Broad moniker remains with the route northward through the city until the downtown district, where NY 12 turns into North Broad Street at a junction with NY 23. NY 12 loses the street name soon afterward as it leaves the city and intersects NY 320 north of Norwich and south of Norwich Lt. Warren Eaton Airport.

Western terminus of NY 12A at NY 12. The route provides access to I-88 from NY 12.

The route and the Chenango River remain in close proximity to one another up through the village of Sherburne, situated at the junction between NY 12 and NY 80. North of the village center, the river breaks to the west, following NY 12B to the northwest while NY 12 continues northward into rural Madison County.

Madison and Oneida Counties

Across the county line, NY 12 joins the Sangerfield River as it heads north through the narrow southeastern portion of the county (with a width of only 10 miles (16 km)). Near the northern border of Madison County, the route shifts slightly east to bypass a marshy area around the Sangerfield River known as the Ninemile Swamp. The conditions persist into Oneida County to just south of the Sangerfield hamlet of the same name, where the swamp ends as the river curves away from NY 12. At the actual community, NY 12 intersects U.S. Route 20.

The route continues north for an additional 1 mile (1.6 km) to the village of Waterville, home to an intersection between NY 12 and NY 315. Outside of Waterville, NY 12 heads north once more through hilly, sparsely populated areas of New York toward Utica. In the Utica suburb of New Hartford, the route intersects NY 5 a short distance east of where NY 12B terminates at NY 5. NY 12 turns east, joining NY 5 northeast on a limited-access highway known locally as the North-South Arterial. Upon crossing into the Utica city limits, the Arterial intersects NY 8 and NY 840 by way of a cloverleaf interchange. NY 8 joins the freeway here, following NY 5 and NY 12 through southern Utica as the arterial meets French Road and Burrstone Road by way of a pair of interchanges. After the Burrstone Road interchange, the arterial becomes a divided highway through downtown before becoming limited-access once more at an interchange with Oriskany Street (NY 5A and NY 5S).

Diagram of the interchange between I-790, NY 5, NY 8, NY 12 and NY 49

Between Oriskany Street and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90), NY 5, 8, and 12 is part of the Interstate Highway System as Interstate 790 overlaps all three routes northward over the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal before leaving the arterial at a large interchange on the north bank of the canal. NY 5 turns off as well, following I-790 eastward. Meanwhile, NY 8 and NY 12 interchange with NY 49 (the Utica-Rome Expressway), partially via the I-790 exit ramps, and passes over the Thruway before continuing northward out of the city limits.

NY 8 and NY 12 remain limited-access as they proceed through the northern suburbs of Utica, connecting to Mulaney Road and Trenton Road via interchanges in Deerfield. Farther north in the town, NY 8 leaves the freeway by way of a trumpet interchange. Although the amount of development around NY 12 declines as it heads northward, it continues as an expressway to a point north of the Putnam Road interchange in Trenton, where the road reverts to a limited-access four-lane highway. This configuration remains through the villages of Barneveld (where NY 28 joins NY 12 south of the village and NY 12 connects to NY 365 via an interchange) and Remsen to the vicinity of Alder Creek in the town of Boonville, where NY 28 leaves NY 12 via a partial trumpet interchange and the road narrows to two lanes shortly afterward.

From Alder Creek to Boonville, NY 12 loosely follows the path of the Black River as it heads northwest. Inside Boonville, NY 12D departs NY 12 and begins to follow a northward routing parallel to that of its parent. Together with NY 12D and the Black River, NY 12 passes into the region of New York known as the North Country.

North Country

The path of NY 12 through New York's North Country consists of three primary subregions: rural Lewis County, urban Watertown, and the numerous communities that line the southern bank of the St. Lawrence River, here the geographical divide between the United States and Canada.

Lewis County

NY 12, NY 12D, and the Black River continue to follow parallel routings north through the village of Port Leyden to Lyons Falls, where NY 12D returns to NY 12 by way of an intersection just west of the village. NY 12 then passes under NY 12D, which heads north from NY 12 on Cherry Street to access Lyons Falls before heading west over NY 12 and out of the village. NY 12, however, continues on in the vicinity of the Black River to Lowville, where NY 12 briefly overlaps NY 26 and meets NY 812 before leaving both the village and the river to the west.

3 miles (4.8 km) outside of Lowville at West Lowville, NY 12 leaves its due west alignment and curves to the northwest, with the westerly alignment continuing onward as NY 177. From West Lowville to the area surrounding Copenhagen, NY 12 passes through largely undeveloped terrain, save for a pair of isolated roadside communities. This trend ceases, albeit temporary, in the village of Copenhagen, located on the banks of the Deer River at the crossroads of NY 12 and the former NY 194 (now County Routes 55 and 194). Outside the limits, the route resumes its trek through the rural North Country.

Watertown area

Route 12 enters Jefferson County on its way to Watertown just north of Copenhagen.^[3] Route 12 is known as Van Allen Road, crossing with Jefferson county roads in Rutland. At the intersection with County Road 67, Route 12 turns to the north and enters Watertown as Gifford Street. Route 12 intersects with County Road 126 just northeast of Thompson Park and Watertown Golf Club and turns to the northwest. As Route 12 continues through southern parts of Watertown, New York State Route 3 intersects and becomes concurrent. Routes 3 and 12 enter Watertown Public Square and split into divided highways. Here, New York State Route 283 starts to the northeast.^[3]

Routes 3 and 12 split, just northwest of the Public Square.^[3] Route 3 splits to the west, Route 12 heads to the northwest, and quickly becomes concurrent with U.S. Route 11. The two roads cross a river and split in different directions. Route 12 heads to the northeast, intersecting with a suffixed route, 12E, and passes North Watertown Cemetery before connecting to Interstate 81 at exit 47. Route 12 leaves Watertown afterwards^[3] and heads northeast through rural northwestern Jefferson County. North of Perch Lake in the southeastern corner of the town of Clayton, NY 12 intersects NY 180.

10 miles (16 km) north of NY 180, NY 12 reaches the village of Clayton on the St. Lawrence River. Inside the village, NY 12E completes its lengthy alternate loop of NY 12, terminating at its parent in the village center. NY 12 turns east here, following State Street out of Clayton.

St. Lawrence River

NY 12 continues northeast along the south bank of the St. Lawrence, intersecting Mason Point Road (a local road leading to a Thousand Islands-bound ferry) and NY 180, and passing south of Grass Point State Park prior to encountering I-81 at exit 50 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of the village of Alexandria Bay. Farther northeast, NY 12 passes by Keewaydin State Park before intersecting the northern terminus of NY 26 in the southwestern portion of the village.

Outside of Alexandria Bay, NY 12 temporarily turns east and leaves the riverbank to avoid Goose Bay, a small body of water partially separated from the St. Lawrence by two protruding points of land. The route then curves back toward the water and follows the eastern length of the bay, serving the seaside hamlet of Goose Bay near the bay's midpoint. North of Goose Bay, NY 12 intersects Kring Point Road, an access road leading to Kring Point State Park, and crosses into St. Lawrence County.

NY 12 continues along the southern bank of the St. Lawrence River as it proceeds through the rural western portion of the county. 5 miles (8.0 km) from the county line and 11 miles (18 km) from Alexandria Bay in the town of Hammond, NY 12 intersects County Route 6, a roadway leading east to the village of Hammond and Black Lake. Farther north in Morristown, NY 12 travels through Jacques Cartier State Park before terminating at an interchange with NY 37 just south of the Morristown village limits.

History

When state highways in New York were first signed in 1924, NY 12 was assigned to most of its current alignment between Binghamton and Clayton.^[2] At Sherburne, NY 12 veered north to follow modern NY 12B to Utica,^[4] then followed Paris Road and Genesee Street through the city.^{[citation needed]} North of Utica, NY 12 followed Trenton Road to a point south of Trenton (now Barneveld), where it briefly followed its current routing.^[4] NY 12 turned off again in Trenton to follow Mappa Avenue through Trenton and Main Street through Remsen before meeting its modern alignment near East Steuben.^{[citation needed]} Between Boonville and Lowville, NY 12 followed what is now NY 12D and NY 26.^[4] From Clayton to Alexandria Bay, the highway along the St. Lawrence River was originally designated as part of NY 3.^[2] NY 12 was realigned in the late 1920s to follow its current alignment between Sherburne and the Utica city limits.^[5]

In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, NY 3 was rerouted onto its current alignment east of Watertown while the former routing of NY 3 from Clayton to Alexandria Bay became an extension of NY 12.^[5] Also created as part of the renumbering was NY 12D, an alternate route of NY 12 between Boonville and Lowville via Lyons Falls.^[6] The alignments of NY 12 and NY 12D between the two villages were swapped in the late 1930s, placing NY 12D on the direct highway between the two and NY 12 on the slightly more circuitous route via Lyons Falls.^[7][8] NY 12 was extended northeast to Morristown over a new roadway along the St. Lawrence River in the mid-1960s.^[9][10]

NY 12 has been realigned onto divided highways and limited-access highways over the years, particularly in Oneida County, to bypass communities along its routing. The first bypass that was constructed was around Remsen in the early 1950s. NY 12 was realigned onto the bypass, which passed to the west of the village, by 1954.^[11][12] Construction began by 1956 on a southward extension of the bypass that would take NY 12 around the eastern edge of Barneveld.^[13] It opened to traffic by 1958.^[14] Farther south, in Utica, a new limited-access highway was built through the downtown portion of the city in the early 1960s. At the time, it began at French Road and ended at Trenton Road. It became a realignment of NY 12 by 1964.^[9][15] An extension of the road southwest to Genesee Street in New Hartford was completed by 1968, at which time NY 12 was realigned to follow New Paris Road into the city.^[10] A limited-access highway bypassing Trenton Road and linking the Utica expressway and the Barneveld–Remsen bypass was completed by 1973, resulting in the rerouting of NY 12 onto the roadway.^[16]

Suffixed routes

NY 12 once had six suffixed routes; one has since been removed and partially renumbered.

• NY 12A (0.98 miles (1.58 km)^[1]) is a short east-west spur connecting NY 12 to Interstate 88/NY 7 on the banks of the Chenango River in Chenango Bridge, Broome County. The entire route is known as Chenango Bridge Road and is one of only six signed New York state highways less than a mile in length.
• NY 12B (33.57 miles (54.03 km)^[1]) is an alternate route of NY 12 between Sherburne and Utica.
• NY 12C is a former alternate route of NY 12 between Utica and Barneveld. The lone portion of NY 12C that did not overlap another state route was redesignated as NY 291.
• NY 12D (11.50 miles (18.51 km)^[1]) is an alternate route of NY 12 between Boonville and Lyons Falls.
• NY 12E (39.76 miles (63.99 km)^[1]) is an alternate route of NY 12 between Watertown and Clayton. While NY 12 follows a direct path between the two locations, NY 12E veers to the west to serve communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
• NY 12F (6.89 miles (11.09 km)^[1]) is a spur connecting NY 12 in downtown Watertown to NY 180 near the Watertown International Airport in Dexter.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[1]	Roads intersected	Notes
Broome	Chenango	0.00	US 11
		0.53	NY 12A	Western terminus of NY 12A
	Barker	6.40	NY 79 north	Southern terminus of overlap
		6.63	NY 79 south	Northern terminus of overlap
Chenango	Village of Greene	14.30	NY 41 south / NY 206	Southern terminus of NY 12/41 overlap
		14.76	NY 41 north	Northern terminus of overlap
	Village of Oxford	27.82	NY 220 west	Southern terminus of overlap
		28.46	NY 220 east	Northern terminus of overlap
	City of Norwich	35.73	NY 990L	Southern terminus of NY 990L; former eastern terminus of NY 319
		36.12	NY 23
	Town of Norwich	37.22	NY 320	Western terminus of NY 320
	Village of Sherburne	47.38	NY 80
		48.13	NY 12B	Southern terminus of NY 12B
Oneida	Sangerfield	66.33	US 20
	Waterville	67.62	NY 315	Southern terminus of NY 315
	Town of New Hartford	79.89	NY 5 west	Southern terminus of overlap
	Utica	80.54	NY 8 south NY 840	Cloverleaf interchange; southern terminus of NY 8/12 overlap; eastern terminus of NY 840
		83.83	I-790 NY 5A / NY 5S (Oriskany Street)	Eastern terminus of NY 5A; western terminus of NY 5S; southern terminus of I-790; southern terminus of I-790/NY 12 overlap
		84.70	I-790 north / NY 5 east NY 49	Eastern terminus of NY 49; northern termini of I-790/NY 12 and NY 5/12 overlaps; to I-90 / Thruway
	Deerfield	89.82	NY 8 north	Northern terminus of overlap
		95.96	NY 28 south	Southern terminus of overlap
	Trenton	97.67	NY 365
	Town of Remsen	107.39	NY 28 north	Northern terminus of overlap
	Village of Boonville		NY 12D	Southern terminus of NY 12D
Lewis	Lyons Falls	124.35	NY 12D	Northern terminus of NY 12D
	Village of Lowville	137.94	NY 26 south	Southern terminus of overlap
		138.52	NY 26 north / NY 812	Northern terminus of NY 12/26 overlap; southern terminus of NY 812
	Town of Lowville	141.34	NY 177	Eastern terminus of NY 177
	Copenhagen	150.94	CR 194	Former eastern terminus of NY 194
Jefferson	Town of Watertown	163.57	NY 126	Western terminus of NY 126
	City of Watertown	163.95	NY 3 east	Eastern terminus of overlap
		165.37	US 11 north / NY 3 west	Western terminus of NY 3/12 overlap (northbound); eastern terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap (southbound); southern terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap (northbound)
			NY 283 (Factory Street)	Northbound intersection; western terminus of NY 283
			US 11 north (Washington Street)	Southbound intersection; western terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap
		165.72	US 11 north (Mill Street)	Northbound intersection; northern terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap
			US 11 south (South Massey Street) / NY 3 west (Arsenal Street)	Southbound intersection; western terminus of NY 3/12 overlap; southern terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap
			NY 12F (Coffeen Street)	Southbound intersection; eastern terminus of NY 12F
		166.12	US 11 south (Leray Street)	Northern terminus of US 11/NY 12 overlap (southbound)
		166.35	NY 12E	Southern terminus of NY 12E
	Pamelia	167.52	I-81	Exit 47 (I-81)
		169.64	NY 342
	Town of Clayton	175.49	NY 180
		187.10	NY 12E	Northern terminus of NY 12E
	Orleans	192.21	NY 180	Northern terminus of NY 180
		194.22	I-81	Exit 50 (I-81)
	Alexandria Bay	198.20	NY 26	Northern terminus of NY 26
St. Lawrence	Town of Morristown	222.27	NY 37

References

New York portal

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: New York State Route 12

• New York State Route 12 Ends
• New York Routes - New York State Route 12