New York State Route 97
Location | ||||
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Country | United States | |||
State | New York | |||
Counties | Orange, Sullivan, Delaware | |||
Highway system | ||||
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New York State Route 97 (NY 97) is a 70.53-mile-long (113.51 km) north–south scenic route in southern
The New York State Legislature created Route 3-a, an unsigned legislative route extending from Port Jervis to Hancock along the Delaware River, in 1911. Initially, it was a route in name only as the portion north of Port Jervis had yet to be built. Several parts of the route were constructed during the 1920s, and by the time the NY 97 designation was created as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, only two sections were still unconstructed. The entirety of the highway officially opened on August 30, 1939, capping a construction project that cost $4 million (equivalent to $87.6 million in 2024) to complete.
NY 97 began in the city of Port Jervis and ended in
Route description
Port Jervis to Pond Eddy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/NY_42-NY_97_NB_past_Main_Street.jpeg/220px-NY_42-NY_97_NB_past_Main_Street.jpeg)
NY 97 begins at an intersection with
In Sparrowbush, NY 42 and NY 97 proceed west, passing north of the Eddy Farm Resort Golf Course before bending northwest through the hamlet. After the intersection with Darraugh Lane, NY 42 forks off on a new right-of-way to the northeast, while NY 97 continues northwest on the current alignment. The route quickly bends north, intersecting with Hook Road, which connects to the golf course and nearby fishing area. NY 97 continues north, paralleling NY 42 and the Delaware River into the Hawk's Nest section of Deerpark. In Hawk's Nest, NY 97 runs alongside the side of several cliffs overlooking the Delaware. As the river bends to the west, NY 97 bends westward out of Hawk's Nest, bending southwest into Sullivan County.[5]
Upon entering Sullivan County, NY 97 enters the hamlet of
Barryville to Narrowsburg
Bending northwest once again, NY 97 continues alongside the river, entering a small commercial stretch through the town of Lumberland, before turning southwest once again. Just before an intersection with Tuthill Road, NY 97 bends northwest and away from the river before bending northeastward to the riverside once again. During another curve to the northwest, NY 97 enters the hamlet of Handsome Eddy, which consists of a few farms. After crossing into the town of
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/2021-09-09_10_18_29_View_north_along_New_York_State_Route_97_just_north_of_River_Road_in_Highland%2C_Sullivan_County%2C_New_York.jpg/220px-2021-09-09_10_18_29_View_north_along_New_York_State_Route_97_just_north_of_River_Road_in_Highland%2C_Sullivan_County%2C_New_York.jpg)
After NY 55, NY 97 continues west through Barryville, intersecting with the southern terminus of
After Minisink Ford, NY 97 bends northward along the river as a two-lane dense woods road through the town of Highland. After an intersection with Poblete Drive, NY 97 continues northward while the Delaware River bends west, and NY 97 enters the town of
Tusten to Hankins
NY 52 and NY 97 become concurrent in the town of Tusten, soon entering the hamlet of
In Cochecton, NY 97 intersects with Skinners Falls Road, which connects to the hamlet of Skinners Falls and the
In Delaware, NY 97 and the railroad tracks proceed northward, entering the hamlet of
Long Eddy to Hancock
After Long Eddy, NY 97 bends northeast through the town of Fremont, intersecting with Kellams Bridge Road. Kellams Bridge Road connects NY 97 to the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/NY_97_at_NY_17.jpg/220px-NY_97_at_NY_17.jpg)
Pea Brook consists of a few homes and upon leaving, NY 97 returns to the two-lane woods road it was beforehand. Just before a junction with Klondike Road and Swope Road, NY 97 bends westward once again, entering the hamlet of French Woods. In French Woods, NY 97 passes south of French Woods Golf and Country Club and enters the hamlet of Peas Eddy. In Peas Eddy, NY 97 bends southwest and south alongside Somerset Lake. After Somerset Lake, the route bends northwest and returns to the railroad tracks and the Delaware River in the hamlet of Stockport. At the junction with Stockport Road, NY 97 gains the moniker and becomes a two-lane residential street. A short distance later, NY 97 enters the village of Hancock. In Hancock, NY 97 becomes a two-lane commercial street, paralleling the railroad tracks into the downtown section after crossing the East Branch of the Delaware River.[5]
In downtown Hancock, NY 97 intersects with the southern terminus of
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/HawkNest2.jpg/220px-HawkNest2.jpg)
The
In 1911, the
In May 1939, rest of future-NY 97 was proposed by the New York State Highway Department to become NY 17L from Hancock to Bradley's Corners. The Orange County Chamber of Commerce wanted one designation for the entire stretch of highway from Hancock to Port Jervis, which shared NY 97. NY 17B, NY 84 and US 6. NY 17L was chosen to provide an alternate to NY 17 for motorists who wanted to avoid the busy highway.[10] The Route Ninety-Seven Council had been created several months prior to advocate for designating the entire road as NY 97. They opposed the decision for NY 17L, preferring to keep NY 97 to help travelers.[11] Walter Schwartz, the chairman of the highway committee for Sullivan County's Board of Supervisors, announced on May 12 that he would discuss with the state about the NY 17L/NY 97 ordeal.[12] On June 28, the state announced that they were dropping the NY 17L designation and the entire route would be designated as NY 97.[13]
On August 30, 1939, the entirety of NY 97 was officially opened to traffic. Several events were held to mark the road's opening, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Port Jervis featuring the mayors of Port Jervis and Hancock and a motorcade procession that traveled the length of the highway. In all, it cost $4 million (equivalent to $87.6 million in 2024) to build NY 97. The portion through the Hawk's Nest cost $2 million (equivalent to $43.8 million in 2024) to construct.
Near Cochecton, a historical marker points out that NY 97 passes the rock claimed by New Jersey colonists as the western end of the colony's northern border during the
Major intersections
County | Location[1] | mi[1][20] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I-84 – Port Jervis station | Southern terminus; southern terminus of NY 42; southern terminus of NY 42 concurrency | ||||
hamlet of Sparrow Bush | |||||
Western terminus of NY 55; northern terminus of PA 434;[a] hamlet of Barryville | |||||
CR 111 east – Monticello, Liberty | Southern terminus of NY 52 concurrency | ||||
32.93 | 53.00 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of NY 52 concurrency; hamlet of Narrowsburg | ||
Delaware | 46.25 | 74.43 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of NY 17B; hamlet of Callicoon | |
Delaware | Village of Hancock | 69.43 | 111.74 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of NY 268 |
70.12 | 112.85 | ![]() ![]() | |||
70.28– 70.54 | 113.10– 113.52 | ![]() | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
Notes
- ^ The actual northern terminus of PA 434 is at the New York–Pennsylvania border in the middle of the Delaware River, roughly 400 yards (370 m) from where its locally-maintained continuation into New York intersects NY 97.
References
- ^ a b c Office of Technical Services (2014). "Inventory Listing". Engineering Division, New York State Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
- ^ Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1930. Retrieved May 24, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ New York State Route Bicycle Route 17 (Delaware County)
- ^ New York State Route Bicycle Route 17 (Sullivan County)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Microsoft; Nokia. "overview map of NY 97" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ^ Monroe, John D. (1949). Chapters in the History of Delaware County, New York. Delaware County Historical Association. pp. 94–95.
- ^ State of New York Commission of Highways (1919). The Highway Law. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 68. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ New York State Department of Highways (1920). Report of the State Commissioner of Highways. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 501. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ Dickinson, Leon A. (January 12, 1930). "New Signs for State Highways". The New York Times. p. 136.
- ^ a b "Open New Highway on the Delaware". The New York Times. August 31, 1939. p. 24.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Thibodeau, William A. (1938). The ALA Green Book (1938–39 ed.). Automobile Legal Association.
- Gulf Oil Company. 1940.
- ^ New York and Metropolitan New York (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Sinclair Oil Corporation. 1964.
- ^ New York (Map) (1969–70 ed.). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1968.
- ^ Office of Technical Services. "Roadway Inventory System Viewer". Engineering Division, New York State Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- New York State Route 97 at Alps' Roads • New York Routes
- NY 97 Travelogue @ Empire State Roads
- Hawk's Nest Bike Run on YouTube