New York State Route 425
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| NY Route 425 |
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| Length: | 23.85 mi[1] (38.38 km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1930[2] | ||||||||||||
| South end: |  I-290 in Tonawanda |
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| Major junctions: |
 US 62 in North Tonawanda |
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| North end: |  NY 18 in Wilson |
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| Counties: | Erie, Niagara | ||||||||||||
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New York State Route 425 is a 23.85-mile New York state highway that runs from New York State Route 18 in Wilson, New York on the shore of Lake Ontario to a connection with Interstate 290 in the Town of Tonawanda. Between North Tonawanda and Tonawanda it is known as the Twin Cities Memorial Highway.
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[edit] Route description
Route 425 has two distinct sections, the Twin Cities Highway section in the Tonawandas, short but heavily trafficked; and the more lightly-used two-lane stretch through most of Niagara County. Niagara Falls Boulevard (U.S. Route 62) makes a rough divider between the two sections.
[edit] Tonawandas
NY 425 begins in the town of Tonawanda where Colvin Boulevard crosses the Youngmann Expressway (Interstate 290). It immediately becomes a divided four-lane highway with exits as it crosses the eastern half of the city of Tonawanda, running due north. Once past Tonawanda Creek and into North Tonawanda, there are traffic lights and at-grade intersections.
At Wheatfield Street, 425 forks to the northeast and becomes two-lane Erie Avenue, still passing very well-developed terrain all the way to Niagara Falls Boulevard.
[edit] North to Wilson
As Shawnee Road, 425 returns to its northerly course, passing one major community, Wheatfield, as it continues through the open fields of central Niagara County. Traffic in the Wheatfield section has increased due to urban sprawl, as suburbs are developing northward. The only major highway junction is at NY 31. North of there, it descends the Niagara Escarpment, then briefly follows the east-west Lower Mountain Road to get to its final route north along Cambria-Wilson Road.
This crosses both NY 104 and NY 93 in close succession, near the western end of their concurrency. A few miles beyond, it finally reaches Wilson and becomes Lake Street before ending at NY 18 near the shores of Lake Ontario.
[edit] History
When state highways in New York were first signed in 1924, the portion of modern NY 425 from U.S. Route 62 in North Tonawanda to the intersection of Cambria-Wilson Road and Lower Mountain Road in Cambria was designated as the westernmost portion of NY 3, which extended from North Tonawanda to Plattsburgh upon assignment.[3][4] Later in the decade, NY 3 was rerouted east of Shawnee Road to follow Saunders Settlement Road (modern NY 31) to Lockport instead of Lower Mountain Road. In the 1930 renumbering, NY 3 was realigned again in Niagara County to follow Lockport Road west from Shawnee Road to Niagara Falls.[5] The pre-1930 routing of NY 3 between North Tonawanda and Lockport Road, as well as the mid-1920s alignment of NY 3 up to Cambria-Wilson Road and all of Cambria-Wilson Road north to Lake Ontario, was redesignated as NY 425.[2] By 1947, the route was extended into North Tonawanda along Erie Avenue and Wheatfield Street to a new terminus at NY 429 (Oliver Street) in downtown.[6]
In the 1960s, construction began on a new divided highway connecting NY 425 in North Tonawanda to Interstate 290 in Tonawanda.[7] The highway, known as the Twin Cities Memorial Highway, was initially designated as New York State Route 950H, an unsigned reference route,[1] upon opening in the early 1970s.[citation needed] It became part of a rerouted NY 425 between 1970 and 1977.[8][9] When first built, the Twin Cities Memorial Highway was planned to continue as a divided highway north through North Tonawanda and Wheatfield to connect with the LaSalle Expressway in Niagara Falls.[citation needed] Although the connection was never built, evidence of the initial plans are visible at the respective termini of each highway.[citation needed]
[edit] Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile[1] | Roads intersected | Notes |
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| Erie | Town of Tonawanda | 0.00 | I-290 |
Exit 2 (I-290) |
| 0.98 | CR 580 (Ellicott Creek Road) | Interchange; former routing of  NY 356 |
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| Niagara | North Tonawanda | 4.80 | US 62 |
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| Sanborn | 10.72 |  NY 31 |
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| Streeters Corners | 15.87 |  NY 104 |
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| Ransomville | 16.58 |  NY 93 |
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| Wilson | 23.85 | NY 18 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c 2006 Traffic Data Report for New York State (PDF) pp. 300–301. New York State Department of Transportation (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
- ^ a b Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book, 1930/31 and 1931/32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930/31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the 1930 renumbering
- ^ "New York's Main Highways Designated by Numbers", New York Times, 1924-12-21, p. XX9.
- ^ Rand McNally. Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas (western New York) [map]. (1926) Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
- ^ Leon A. Dickinson. "New Signs for State Highways", New York Times, 1930-01-12, p. 136.
- ^ State of New York Department of Public Works. Official Highway Map of New York State [map], 1947-48 edition. Cartography by General Drafting.
- ^ National Bridge Inventory, a database compiled by the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, available at www.nationalbridges.com. Accessed 2008-03-06.
- ^ State of New York Department of Transportation (1970-01-01). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State. Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
- ^ Exxon. New York [map], 1977-78 edition. Cartography by General Drafting. (1977)
