The Northern Tier Expressway (NTE) Corridor Study will define what roadway improvements are needed along US Route 11 to improve access in the region and promote economic development, while still retaining the environmental integrity of the region.
 The Study area is centered on Route 11 between Watertown and the village of Champlain. It includes critical “spur” routes that serve key locations north and south of Route 11. The “spurs” are:
- Rt. 26 to Lowville
- Rt. 342 to I-81
- Rt. 812 to Ogdensburg
- Rt. 56 to Massena
- Rt. 190 to Plattsburgh
- Rt. 374 to Canada
Background
Community leaders and planning and development professionals throughout the region have long expressed concern that economic development is stifled by inadequate transportation access. Trucks have difficulty getting raw materials to factories and goods to market on time. Rural residents have long commutes to widely dispersed jobs. University and college administrators believe their institutions might attract and retain more students if their campuses were more accessible to major cities and resources.
In 2003, the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) commissioned Wilbur Smith Associates to conduct a study called the North Country Transportation Study (NCTS) in order to find ways to improve access in the region and promote economic development, all while retaining the environmental integrity of the region.
The NCTS examined a full range of transportation options for improving access to, from, and within the region, including air, highway, rail, bus and others. Further study then focused on highway-based solutions and recommended that, to the extent possible, the existing Route 11 right-of-way be used to develop a four-lane expressway, or a freeway.
The new Northern Tier Expressway (NTE) Corridor Study will further define what specific roadway improvements are needed to improve the Route 11 corridor and create a strategy to develop the NTE over time. In addition, actions requiring further study and planning through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and/or the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) processes will be identified.
What is an Expressway?
“Expressway” means a high-functioning (arterial) type of roadway with a mix of freeway-type grade-separated interchanges and at-grade, signalized or non-signalized intersections as well as significantly restricted driveway access. An expressway is typically designed for a significant volume and mix of traffic to travel safely at highway speeds. |
