New York State Route 431
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| NY Route 431 |
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| Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway Maintained by NYSDEC |
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| Length: | 7.96 mi[1] (12.81 km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1935[2][3] | ||||||||||||
| South end: |  NY 86 in Wilmington |
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| North end: | Peak of Whiteface Mountain | ||||||||||||
| Counties: | Essex | ||||||||||||
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New York State Route 431 (also known as the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway) is a state highway in Essex County, New York. The highway, which as named, goes up Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The highway is maintained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and is about 7.96 miles (12.81 km) long.
The original plans for highway originated over a century ago, by an entrepreneur in nearby Lake Placid. In the 1920s, plans for a highway up Whiteface Mountain began to come together. The route was constructed in 1929 and opened in 1935 and is now nominated for a place in the National Register of Historic Places.
The highway takes people up from over 2,000 feet above sea level to over 4500 feet above sea level. The road increases 450 feet in elevation each mile with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
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[edit] Route description
Route 431 and the Whiteface Highway begins at an intersection with New York State Route 86 in Wilmington. The highway heads to the north, intersecting with some local roads in Wilmington. Route 431 and the parkway make curves to the east and soon to the northeast as it heads towards the tollbooth at the base. The roads intersect with Essex County Route 18A before turning to the east and beginning the scenic drive to the north.[4]
At a tollbooth built in 1934, the Route 431 designation ends; however, the Whiteface Mountain Highway continues on toward the summit of the mountain. About a mile into the scenic drive, the highway passes the Union Falls Overlook, a scenic view at 2,700 feet (820 m) high. Viewable from this overlook is Taylor Pond, a pond the Adirondacks. At 3,300 feet (1,000 m) high, the "Castle", a large building at the top begins to appear, and Taylor Pond below, is more clear than before. The scenic drive make a hairpin turn just before 3,700 feet (1,100 m), and come to another scenic view, this time, showing parts of Lake Placid and the Olympic Village. The road continues for another 1.3 miles (2.1 km) before terminating at a parking lot near the summit of Whiteface Mountain, where " The Castle" is located.[2]
[edit] History
The ideas for a road up Whiteface Mountain originated in the late 1800s and early 1900s by an entrepreneur in Lake Placid. The plans for the highway originated in the 1920s, when the land for the road was given by the owner to the state on the condition that it would be named after America's Great War veterans. The road was later renamed in the honor of veterans from all wars. Then-Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the dedication for the highway in 1929. Construction on the road began that year.[2] In 1935, the road, designated as NY 431 from NY 86 to the toll booth,[3] was opened by now-President Roosevelt at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In total, constructing the road cost $1.2 million. President Roosevelt also requested that an elevator be constructed to get the visitors from the parking lot to the summit of Whiteface Mountain.[2]
[edit] Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile[1] | Roads intersected | Notes |
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| Essex | Wilmington | 0.00 | Summit of Whiteface Mountain | Road to summit begins here |
| 5.21 |  CR 18A |
Road to summit ends here;NY 431 designation begins here | ||
| 7.96 | NY 86 |
NY 431 designation ends here |
[edit] See also
- Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, a highway of the same type in the Adirondacks
[edit] References
- ^ a b Traffic Data Report - NY 427 to NY 908F (PDF). NYSDOT (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
- ^ a b c d Lee Manchester. A 5-mile drive to the top of the world. Adirondack Architectural Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
- ^ a b Sun Oil Company. Road Map & Historical Guide - New York [map]. Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. (1935)
- ^ Google Maps. Overview map of 431/WM Veterans Highway from Route 86 to Route 72 [map]. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
