and NY 690

NY 690 EB turns into I-690 when it reaches its parent I-90. "JCT" isn't quite appropriate because the route isn't ending and then beginning again, it's just changing status.

From Exit 4 (John Glenn Blvd. SB), courtesy Doug Kerr.


Now, what makes John Glenn Blvd. interesting is that it was supposed to be something more. This NYS Highway Condition Map shows a planned freeway along that corridor, linking NY 690 and NY 481 north of the Thruway. Its main function would have been to get traffic from east of the Seneca River down into Syracuse, instead of funneling everyone onto already-crowded I-81 that's also carrying through traffic.


EB approaching and then at Exit 6. All of the old BGS's have ben replaced, but there are at least two good shields left (this and the one at top).


Yowza. Original equipment everything - check out the tapers on those arrows. Courtesy Doug Kerr.


One EB and then three WB BGS's, also courtesy Doug Kerr. If any of these were button copy, they're gone now. To account for the number of "EXIT ONLY"s, Exit 6 is a major freeway-to-freeway wye and thus lanes split every which way, and Exit 4 is where the four-lane freeway transitions to six lanes.


2-digit shields are hard to spot, easy to come by; half a pedestrian overpass is somewhat easier to spot but harder to find. The important half was hit by a tall vehicle years ago, but NYSDOT still hasn't decided whether to bring the rest down or connect it. Or build a pair of suicide ramps between them for enterprising skateboarders.


One more WB BGS from Doug Kerr; I-81 has no exit number because this is an Interstate-Interstate junction.


I-690 was planned to extend beyond I-481 and loop back to I-90. These photos look west from Butternut Drive at what would have been the WB through lanes, coming from where I'm standing underneath the I-481 NB overpass and merging with the left entrance from 481 NB. In the background of the second photo is the EB-NB flyover ramp, built to fly over a lot more than the NB-WB ramp.


A bit farther south on Butternut, this overpass was meant for I-690 EB and the SB-EB (closed to traffic) left-hand ramp. The only missing access to the DOT garage parked on the stub is NB-EB, which has a short ghost ramp south of here. I presume authorized vehicles use the NB-WB ramp and turn right to head the "wrong way" on the would-be WB mainline.


Interestingly, I-690 wasn't always headed toward this stub interchange. This 1960s NYS Highway Condition Map shows that an early consideration had it returning to I-90 directly. It also showed I-481 (then numbered 281) returning to I-81 more directly. Shame those didn't come to pass, but you got a stub out of it.

Exit 3 to NY 48
Exit 6 to NY 5
Onto I-81
To I-90
Up onto I-481
Into Syracuse
Back to New York Roads
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