 Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained byNYSDOT | |
| Length | 26.2 mi[1] (42.2 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  NY 5 inSchenectady |
| East end |   US 4 /NY 32 inWaterford |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Highway system | |
TheMohawk Towpath Scenic Byway is aNational Scenic Byway in theCapital District region ofNew York in the United States. It extends fromSchenectady toWaterford by way of a series of local, county, and state highways along theMohawk River and theErie Canal. The byway is intended to showcase the history of the waterway, fromNative American times through the creation of the Erie Canal and the role the waterside communities played in theIndustrial Revolution and thewestward expansion of the United States. At its east end, the byway connects to theLakes to Locks Passage, anAll-American Road.
The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway extends for 26.2 miles (42.2 km)[1] from downtownSchenectady to thevillage of Waterford by way of a series of highways running alongside theMohawk River. It begins at the intersection of Erie Boulevard and State Street (New York State Route 5 or NY 5) in Schenectady and follows Erie Boulevard and Maxon Road out of the city. Now in the town ofNiskayuna, the byway runs alongside the Mohawk River as it followsCounty Route 10 (CR 10) northeast to a junction withNY 146 in thehamlet ofAqueduct. CR 10 ends here; however, the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway turns north to cross the Mohawk River and enterSaratoga County by way of NY 146.[2]
On the opposite riverbank, the byway leaves the state route at a junction withCR 88 andCR 91 in the town ofClifton Park. It follows the latter road to the southeast, taking on the name Riverview Road as it runs adjacent to the Mohawk River.[2] This section of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway was once part ofNY 146B, a now-defunct spur route of NY 146.[3] CR 91 leaves Riverview Road at Grooms Road; however, the byway continues southeastward along the now town-maintained road. Riverview Road continues to parallel the Mohawk River into the town ofHalfmoon, where Riverview Road ends at an intersection with Clam Steam Road just east ofInterstate 87. The byway briefly heads south from here on Clam Steam Road before turning back to the northeast on Canal Road.[2]
Canal Road ultimately brings the scenic byway to the hamlet of Crescent, where it intersectsU.S. Route 9 (US 9). At this point, the byway splits into two branches, with each branch following a specific side of the Mohawk River.[2] The main byway follows the south branch,[4] which heads south from Crescent along US 9 and immediately crosses the Mohawk River on theCrescent Bridge to reachAlbany County. On the south side of the riverbank in thetown of Colonie, the byway splits from US 9 and proceeds southeast along Cohoes Crescent Road, a local road running alongside the waterway. It soon crosses into the city ofCohoes, becoming North Mohawk Street in the process. The byway continues along North Mohawk and New Cortland streets to Saratoga Street (NY 32), where it turns north to follow NY 32 back into Saratoga County and the village of Waterford.[2]
The north branch of the byway heads east from Crescent, loosely following the riverbank as it proceeds alongCR 99 to the hamlet of Halfmoon. CR 99 ends here, giving way toCR 94; however, CR 94 terminates just a quarter-mile (0.4 km) to the east at an intersection withCR 96. This road brings the byway into the town ofWaterford, but it isCR 97 that carries the byway into the village of Waterford. The latter portion servesLock Six State Canal Park and runs in close proximity to theErie Canal, here separate from the Mohawk River. Within the village, the byway follows Washington Avenue and Sixth Street to reachNY 32 and the byway's south branch at Broad Street. The unified byway follows NY 32 east from Sixth Street to its junction withUS 4 at Third Street. The intersection is the east end of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway and the south end of theLakes to Locks Passage,[2] anAll-American Road connecting Waterford toRouses Point by way of theHudson River andLake Champlain corridors.[5]
The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway was created as the result of a grassroots effort to showcase to theCapital District's portion of theMohawk River corridor. The byway was designated a New York State Scenic Byway in July 2003,[6] and named aNational Scenic Byway in September 2005.[7][8][9] The word "Mohawk" in the byway's name is derived from theMohawk River, and by extension theMohawk people who originally inhabited the area. The word "Towpath" comes from a period of theErie Canal's history when canal vessels moved principally by draft animals—mostlymules—that pulled craft from the path atop the side berm of the canal.[6]
| County | Location | mi[4][1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schenectady | Schenectady | 0.0 | 0.0 |   NY 5 (Erie Boulevard) toI-890 | |
| Niskayuna | 4.6 | 7.4 |   NY 146 south | Southern terminus of NY 146 / Mohawk Towpath Bywayoverlap, Northern Terminus of CR 10/ Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap | |
| Saratoga | Clifton Park | 4.9 | 7.9 |    NY 146 north /CR 88 west (Riverview Road) | Northern terminus of NY 146 / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap, Western terminus of CR 91/ Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap |
| 5.7 | 9.2 |   CR 91 east (Grooms Road) | Eastern terminus of CR 91/ Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap | ||
| 12.5 | 20.1 |   CR 92 east (Vischer Ferry Road) toI-87 | |||
| Halfmoon | 16.7 | 26.9 | Crescent–Vischer Ferry Road (NY 911P west) toI-87 | Western terminus of NYRef 911P / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap | |
| 17.0 | 27.4 |  US 9 north | Eastern terminus of NYRef 911P / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap , Northern terminus of US 9 / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap | ||
| Albany | Town of Colonie | 17.6 | 28.3 | US 9 south | Southern terminus of US 9 / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap, Northern terminus of CR 159/ Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap |
| Cohoes | 19.7 | 31.7 |   NY 32 south /NY 787 toI-787 | Southern terminus of CR 159/ Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap, Southern terminus of NY 32 / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap | |
| Saratoga | Village of Waterford | 21.4 | 34.4 | US 4 /NY 32 north | Northern terminus of NY 32 / Mohawk Towpath Byway overlap |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
The entire route is inSaratoga County.
| Location | mi[4] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halfmoon | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 9 | ||
| Village of Waterford | 4.8 | 7.7 | NY 32 | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||