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Route 17 (New England)
Encyclopedia
Route 17 was a 117 miles (188.3 km) east–west New England Interstate Highway known as the Westerly Route. It ran from the New York-Massachusetts state line (with the road continuing towards Hudson, New York
via modern New York State Route 23
and 23B
) through Great Barrington, Massachusetts
and Hartford, Connecticut
to Westerly, Rhode Island.
to Westerly, Rhode Island via Hartford, Connecticut
. New York, however, did not sign its state highways until 1924, at which time the westward continuation of the route from the state line to Hudson became part of NY 23. At the end of 1926, a short portion of the route that overlapped with New England Route 4 (South Egremont to Great Barrington) became part of the original US 7. By the following year, however, US 7 was shifted slightly to use the portion of Route 17 from Great Barrington to the village of Canaan. In 1932, Connecticut renumbered its portion of Route 17 to Route 101 (now US 44) west of Hartford and Route 2 east of Hartford, also removing the 17 designation from the portion overlapping US 7. At the same time, Massachusetts truncated its portion of Route 17 to between the New York state line and Great Barrington, removing the overlap with US 7. Between 1935 and 1938, Massachusetts had renumbered this piece as part of a new Route 23 to Woronoco to match the route number in New York.
Hudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
via modern New York State Route 23
New York State Route 23
New York State Route 23 is an east–west state highway in the eastern portion New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 26 in the Central New York town of Cincinnatus to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains, where it continues east as...
and 23B
New York State Route 23B
New York State Route 23B is an east–west state highway located in western Columbia County, New York, in the United States. The route is a former section of NY 23 that runs for from NY 9G southwest of Hudson to NY 9H in Claverack...
) through Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
and Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
to Westerly, Rhode Island.
Route description
The modern designations of the old route are:
Route 23Route 23 (Massachusetts)Route 23 is a west–east route in the western Massachusetts counties of Berkshire and Hampden. The entire route is . The vast majority of the road follows the Knox Trail, the historic route of General Henry Knox took to bring cannon from Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in New York to aid...
from the New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line to Great Barrington, MA
U.S. Route 7U.S. Route 7U.S. Route 7 is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Highgate, Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut...
from Great Barrington, MA to North Canaan, CTNorth Canaan, ConnecticutNorth Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,350 at the 2000 census. The town center is still called "Canaan" by local residents, being the main town center of the old Town of Canaan prior to North Canaan splitting off as its own town.The Union Depot...
U.S. Route 44U.S. Route 44U.S. Route 44 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 237 miles through four states in the Northeastern region of the United States. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in Kerhonkson, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region of New York...
from North Canaan, CT to Hartford, CT
Route 2Route 2 (Connecticut)Route 2 is a state highway in Connecticut and is in length. It is a primary state route, with a freeway section connecting Hartford to Norwich and a non-freeway section extending to Stonington.-Route description:...
from Hartford, CT to Stonington, CTStonington, ConnecticutThe Town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic...
U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
from Stonington, CT to Westerly, RI
History
When the New England states adopted a uniform highway marking system in 1922, Route 17 was designated as the route from Hudson, New YorkHudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
to Westerly, Rhode Island via Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. New York, however, did not sign its state highways until 1924, at which time the westward continuation of the route from the state line to Hudson became part of NY 23. At the end of 1926, a short portion of the route that overlapped with New England Route 4 (South Egremont to Great Barrington) became part of the original US 7. By the following year, however, US 7 was shifted slightly to use the portion of Route 17 from Great Barrington to the village of Canaan. In 1932, Connecticut renumbered its portion of Route 17 to Route 101 (now US 44) west of Hartford and Route 2 east of Hartford, also removing the 17 designation from the portion overlapping US 7. At the same time, Massachusetts truncated its portion of Route 17 to between the New York state line and Great Barrington, removing the overlap with US 7. Between 1935 and 1938, Massachusetts had renumbered this piece as part of a new Route 23 to Woronoco to match the route number in New York.