> east )"; $user_alerts = array ( "http://itravel.mobi/f4/index.php?board=8.0", "http://itravel.mobi/f4/index.php?board=8.0", "http://itravel.mobi/f4/index.php?board=8.0" ); $bbs = array ( "8.0", "8.0", "8.0" ); // derived $dir_up_dir = $dir_up_name . "bound"; $dir_dn_dir = $dir_dn_name . "bound"; $use_ad=true; $forum_link="http://itravel.mobi/f/index.php?board=52.0"; ?>
Interstate 86 was originally numbered as Interstate 15W in the 1970s however AASHTO decided it was better to have duplicate numbers in different parts of the country instead of having suffixes. (See Interstate 86 (east).) There was also an Interstate 15E in California at the time.

Besides being somewhat short, the area Interstate 86 passes through is very desolate. Pocatello and American Falls are the only incorporated settlements located on the highway. Between American Falls and Pocatello I-86 passes through a portion of Fort Hall Indian Reservation."; $desc_list[1] = "I-86 east begins at Interstate 90 in a relatively flat area of northwestern Pennsylvania, and crosses into New York, heading towards Chautauqua Lake."; $desc_list[2] = "Chautauqua Lake to Olean

After crossing Chautauqua Lake, I-86 merges into an older section of freeway at exit 10 near Bemus Point; this freeway is now NY Route 954J northwest of the newer extension. NY 954J runs into NY Route 430, which (along with NY Route 394) carried NY 17 to Westfield before the 1980s extension. From Bemus Point to Jamestown (exit 12), I-86 parallels the old NY 17 - now NY Route 430 - along the northeast shore of Chautauqua Lake. The Erie Railroad extension to Chicago (built as the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad) comes into Jamestown from the southwest, and parallels I-86 to its junction with the Erie's original main line to Dunkirk at Salamanca.

From Jamestown to Salamanca, the old NY 17 (now mostly NY Route 394), the new I-86 and the railroad run generally parallel through river valleys. The transportation routes run along the Chadakoin River, Conewango Creek and Little Conewango Creek to Steamburg (exit 17), cutting east to the Allegheny River at Coldspring there. The valley of the Allegheny takes the routes to Salamanca (exit 20), where the railroads merged, and beyond to Olean (25). From Salamanca to Olean, the old NY 17 is now NY Route 417. At Olean, the Allegheny River and NY 417 (old NY 17) continue southeast, while I-86 and the Erie Railroad head northeast. NY 417 does not return to I-86 until exit 44 near Painted Post, and the Erie switches between the two alignments several times.

Olean to Elmira

I-86 and the old Erie line (now part of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad) run northeast along the valleys of the Olean Creek and Oil Creek to Cuba (exit 28). From Cuba to Friendship (exit 29), they run through a valley and over a summit, then following the Van Campen Creek northeast to Belvidere (exit 30). At Belvidere, the Erie turns southeast to meet NY 417 at Wellsville, but I-86 continues northeast through the valleys of the Genesee River and Angelica Creek to Angelica (exit 31), and then east along the Angelica Creek, over a summit which is the highest point on the Interstate, and along the Karr Valley Creek to Almond (exit 33). This summit, at 2,110 feet (634 m) above sea level, is the highest point along I-86, located between exits 32 (West Almond) and 33 and marked with a sign.

At Almond, I-86 rejoins the Erie Railroad, passing through the Canacadea Creek valley about halfway to Hornellsville. However, where the railroad turns southeast to Hornellsville, I-86 continues northeast across a summit and into the wide Canisteo River valley (exit 34). It leaves the valley along the Carrington Creek, but quickly turns east across a summit to follow the Big Creek and cross another summit to Howard (exit 35). I-86 runs alongside Goff Creek from Howard to the wide Cohocton River valley, where it meets the south end of Interstate 390 (exit 36) near Avoca and turns southeast through that valley, parallel to the Erie's Rochester-Painted Post line (Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad).

I-86, NY Route 415 (old U.S. Route 15) and the Erie branch all run southeast along the Cohocton River past Bath (exit 38) to Painted Post (exit 44), now the north end of US 15. NY 417 - old NY 17 - also ends at exit 44, while NY 415 continues east into Corning (exits 45-46). From Painted Post through Corning to Big Flats (exit 49), I-86, NY Route 352 (old NY 17) and the Erie Railroad run through the Chemung River valley. NY 352 begins at exit 45, west of downtown Corning, and is a recently-bypassed four-lane road through Corning. East of East Corning (exit 48), the freeway was built as an on-the-spot upgrade of the old NY 17.

At Big Flats, the Chemung River (and NY 352) turns southeast to downtown Elmira, while I-86 and the Erie continue east-northeast alongside Singsing Creek and across a low summit before turning south at Horseheads along Newtown Creek to Elmira. The present end of I-86 is at NY Route 14 (exit 52) in Elmira.

The surface road in Horseheads crossed several major arterial roads in a fully developed area, which has made this one of the most expensive sections to upgrade. Construction, however, has now been completed to upgrade it to a freeway, by building a large arrangement of embankments and bridges. Another non-freeway section is present just east of the Elmira area, in a less developed area."; ?> Interstate Descriptions - Roadnow
know it ahead ™ ...

Interstate Descriptions






Thank you for using Roadnow

Roadnow US