Route 17’s $1.4 Billion Expansion Continues to Spark Debate

New York State is moving forward with plans to invest $1.4 billion to upgrade Route 17 between Exit 113 in Wurtsboro and Exit 131 in Monroe, continuing the decades-long effort to convert the highway into Interstate 86. While much of western New York already has the interstate treatment, the Hudson Valley segment is now at the center of a heated debate.

State and business leaders say the expansion, including a possible third lane, is needed to handle growing traffic and support local economic development.

“There’s already significant development along Route 17,” Mark Baez of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development told the Sullivan County Legislature recently. “That’s why we need a third lane to address issues that exist today.”

But environmental and community groups are pushing back. The Rethink Route 17 Alliance argues that the $1.4 billion could be better spent on public transit, pedestrian projects, and repairing existing roads.

Liam Mayo, news editor at The River Reporter, said, “The Rethink Route 17 Alliance is advocating against adding that [third] lane, suggesting instead that money be redirected toward local transit, pedestrian infrastructure, and road repairs.”

Their recent report, Invest in Our Communities Not a Wider Highway, recommends doubling bus routes in Sullivan County, building a 15-mile continuous rail trail in Orange County, and adding a pedestrian bridge in Ellenville—all while still addressing current Route 17 safety and maintenance issues.

Jessica Landsdale of the Lake Communities Alliance said the expansion could worsen runoff, air pollution, and push industrial development into the corridor. “The more accessible the highway becomes, the more pressure there will be for warehouse and industrial projects that could harm local ecosystems,” she told The River Reporter

Proponents highlight the highway’s role in accommodating long-term population and traffic growth. The 17Forward86 coalition projects rising demand along the corridor over the next 30 years, citing millions of square feet of existing and planned industrial space and thousands of new housing units.

Mayo said the debate is not just about construction, but “rethinking the way you do this expansion,” with some proposals focusing on upgrades that do not require a full third lane.

An environmental impact statement is currently in preparation, with planning expected to continue through late 2025 or early 2026. The state is aiming to complete the project by 2030.

More information on the Route 17 project is at the New York State Department of Transportation’s website: dot.ny.gov.

The River Reporter’s coverage can be found at riverreporter.com

Image Credit: New York State Department of Transportation