Interstate 88 (east)

Interstate 88 (east)

Interstate 88 (I-88) is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of New York. It extends for 117.75 miles (189.50 km) in a northeast–southwest direction from an interchange with I-81 north of Binghamton to an interchange with the New York State Thruway (I-90) west of Schenectady. The freeway serves as an important connector route from the Capital District to Binghamton, Elmira (via New York State Route 17 or NY 17, future I-86), and Scranton, Pennsylvania (via I-81). I-88 closely parallels NY 7, which was once the main route through the area.

I-88 was assigned in 1968, and construction of the highway began soon afterward. The first section of I-88 opened in the early 1970s, connecting two communities northeast of Binghamton. The last piece of the freeway was finished in 1989, linking the original segment to I-81 north of Binghamton. Early plans for I-88 called for the road to continue northeast to Troy; however, the east end of the route was moved to Schenectady in the early 1980s. Another freeway in Illinois was also assigned the I-88 designation at a later date; however, the two highways are unrelated.