# Interstate 690

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**Interstate 690** (**I-690**) is an [auxiliary Interstate Highway](/source/Auxiliary_Interstate_Highway) that extends for 14.19 miles (22.84 km) through the vicinity of [Syracuse, New York](/source/Syracuse,_New_York), in the United States. It is a spur of [I-90](/source/Interstate_90_in_New_York) (here part of the [New York State Thruway](/source/New_York_State_Thruway)) that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in [Van Buren](/source/Van_Buren,_New_York) to [I-481](/source/Interstate_481) (Future I-81) in [DeWitt](/source/DeWitt,_New_York). In between, I-690 passes through the western suburbs of Syracuse before heading east through the city itself, where it meets [I-81](/source/Interstate_81_in_New_York) (Future Business I-81) in [Downtown Syracuse](/source/Downtown_Syracuse). The freeway continues northwest of the thruway as [New York State Route 690](/source/New_York_State_Route_690) (NY 690).

## Route description

I-690 begins at a double [trumpet interchange](/source/Trumpet_interchange) with the [New York State Thruway](/source/New_York_State_Thruway) ([I-90](/source/Interstate_90_in_New_York)) in the town of [Van Buren](/source/Van_Buren,_New_York). The six-lane, fully-shouldered [limited-access highway](/source/Limited-access_highway) continues north toward [Baldwinsville](/source/Baldwinsville,_New_York) as [NY 690](/source/New_York_State_Route_690) while I-690 travels east from the junction. The interchange with the thruway is labeled as exit 6. Additionally, NY 690 is signed north–south while I-690 is signed east–west. Before physically crossing I-90, it features a partial interchange with [John Glenn Boulevard](/source/John_Glenn_Boulevard) exit 8 and turns southeast.

After crossing and connecting with State Fair Boulevard at exit 9, I-690 runs along the western shore of [Onondaga Lake](/source/Onondaga_Lake), passing under many pedestrian bridges. The highway serves the [New York State Fairgrounds](/source/New_York_State_Fair) by way of exits 10 & 11 eastbound, and 12A-B westbound, with exits 10 & 12A creating a large [directional T interchange](/source/Directional_T_interchange) with [NY 695](/source/New_York_State_Route_695). Within this interchange was a signalized, [at-grade intersection](/source/At-grade_intersection) that connected I-690 to a parking area. For 12 days each year, the light was used to allow buses to carry New York State Fair attendees from the parking area across the road to the fair. I-690 was one of only a few Interstate Highways to feature a traffic light. Construction began in 2019 and finished in 2020 of a bridge overpass to this parking area, eliminating the need for a traffic signal.

The freeway continues along the shore and bears toward the downtown area, where the shoulders frequently disappear and the buildings are often situated close to the freeway. It passes over a railroad grade and Hiawatha Boulevard exit 13, before meeting [NY 298](/source/New_York_State_Route_298) (Bear Street) at exit 14. In the interchange with West Street and [NY 5](/source/New_York_State_Route_5) (West Genesee Street) 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east, two lanes of I-690 disappear, and [I-81](/source/Interstate_81_in_New_York) follows directly after in the center of the city with an incomplete interchange. There is no direct freeway ramp from I-690 east to I-81 north and I-81 south to I-690 west. NY 298, which connects to I-81 at exit 5A west of the I-81/I-690 interchange, must be used to make these connections.

I-690 rewidens to six lanes as it proceeds eastward out of Downtown Syracuse. 2 miles (3.2 km) from downtown, it connects to both Teall Avenue by way of exit 17, and Burnet and Midler avenues by way of exit 18. The latter is designated as [NY 598](/source/New_York_State_Route_598); however, it is not signed as such from I-690. After a curve to the southeast, [NY 635](/source/New_York_State_Route_635) meets the route at a [cloverleaf interchange](/source/Cloverleaf_interchange) exits 19A-B, utilizing [collector–distributor roads](/source/Collector%E2%80%93distributor_road) to do so. The collector–distributor roads continue to a [partial cloverleaf interchange](/source/Partial_cloverleaf_interchange) (parclo) with Bridge Street exit 19C, where they end. Shortly after this interchange, I-690 terminates at [I-481](/source/Interstate_481).

## History

The portion of the modern I-690 corridor west of [Downtown Syracuse](/source/Downtown_Syracuse) was originally served by [NY 48](/source/New_York_State_Route_48), a route assigned as part of the [1930 renumbering of state highways in New York](/source/1930_state_highway_renumbering_(New_York)).[3] NY 48 followed the length of State Fair Boulevard from [Van Buren](/source/Van_Buren,_New_York) to Downtown Syracuse, where it followed several local streets to reach [NY 5](/source/New_York_State_Route_5).[4] In the early 1960s, work began on a new freeway extending from the [New York State Thruway](/source/New_York_State_Thruway) to Syracuse by way of the western shoreline of [Onondaga Lake](/source/Onondaga_Lake). The new road, designated as I-690, was completed from the thruway to [NY 298](/source/New_York_State_Route_298) by 1962. I-690 supplanted State Fair Boulevard as the primary highway through the area, and, from [NY 297](/source/New_York_State_Route_297) southeast, State Fair Boulevard was upgraded on the spot. As a result, NY 48 was truncated to its current southern terminus in Van Buren.[1][2]

The section of I-690 near the [New York State Fairgrounds](/source/New_York_State_Fair) was originally a surface highway. When I-690 was extended eastward through downtown to Midler Avenue (now [NY 598](/source/New_York_State_Route_598)) in the mid-1960s,[5][6] I-690 was moved onto its current, limited-access routing. State Fair Boulevard runs on the former I-690 eastbound [right-of-way](/source/Right-of-way_(transportation)), while a service road occupies the westbound right of way. State Fair Boulevard continues east along this right-of-way onto a ramp to I-690. The section of I-690 between Midler Avenue and [I-481](/source/Interstate_481) was completed in the early 1970s.[7][8] I-690 gained when its western terminus was relocated in 1987. The interchange with the thruway was relocated and completely rebuilt, forcing a complete renumbering of all the exits on the highway.

I-690 follows the former [New York Central Railroad](/source/New_York_Central_Railroad) (NYC) roadbed through a portion of Downtown Syracuse and actually cuts through the site of the former [Syracuse station](/source/Syracuse_station_(New_York_Central_Railroad)). A remnant of the former railroad station platforms is visible to the north of the freeway, with plaster statues of people waiting for trains, who are occasionally dressed up for winter by area residents with scarves and other winter apparel. [Time Warner Cable](/source/Time_Warner_Cable), which restored the building as the base of its [Central New York](/source/Central_New_York) operations and [Spectrum News 1 Central New York](/source/Spectrum_News_1_Central_New_York), also has a rail-focussed mural along the back of that building fronting I-690.[9]

In mid-2009, the [New York State Department of Transportation](/source/New_York_State_Department_of_Transportation) posted new mile markers on both [NY 690](/source/New_York_State_Route_690) and I-690, and in mid-2025, [NY 690](/source/New_York_State_Route_690) received exit numbers. The mileposts and exit numbers now treat the entire length of both routes as a single entity, with mile 0 being at the northern terminus of NY 690 at NY 48 and mile 20 being near the eastern terminus of I-690 at I-481.

There have been plans for decades to extend I-690 eastward from [I-481](/source/Interstate_481) to [Manlius](/source/Manlius,_New_York) or to the far east suburb of [Chittenango](/source/Chittenango,_New_York); however, these plans have yet to become a reality. [10] Several [unused ramps](/source/Unused_highway) exist at the interchange between I-481 and I-690, intended to connect to an extended I-690.[11]

## Future

As part of the community grid solution for I-81 in Downtown Syracuse, a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometre) section of I-690 around the intersection with I-81/future BL 81 will be rebuilt. Bridges along this section will be replaced, and the rebuilt highway will feature wider lanes and bigger shoulders, and realign to southerly (further south of the former New York Central Railroad station track area). The state is also proposing the elimination of exit 16B (Townsend Street, old Exit 13), the restructuring of exits 15 (West Street, old Exit 11) and 15B (West Genesee Street, old Exit 12), and the addition of an exit at Crouse Avenue (eastbound entrance ramp opened November 25th, 2025, Westbound exit ramp to open mid-2026)[12] and Irving Avenue to provide better access to [Syracuse University](/source/Syracuse_University)[13]. Construction along I-690 is part of Phase Two of the community grid project, which would take approximately three years. The entire project is expected to start mid-2020 and take five years. Also, the existing exit numbers along I-690 will be renumbered to reflect the [mile-based exit numbers](/source/Mile-based_exit_numbering).[14][15][16][needs update]

## Exit list

*In 2025, NYSDOT is renumbering the exit numbers along I-690.*

## See also

- [New York State Route 690](/source/New_York_State_Route_690) for exits along NY 690

## References

1. *New York and Metropolitan New York*. 1961–62 ed. [Sunoco](/source/Sunoco). 1961.

1. *New York with Sight-Seeing Guide*. 1962 ed. [Esso](/source/Esso). 1962.

1. *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](/source/1930_renumbering_(New_York))

1. *Texaco Road Map – New York*. [Texas Oil Company](/source/Texas_Oil_Company). 1932.

1. *New York*. [Mobil](/source/Mobil). 1965.

1. *New York*. 1969–70 ed. Esso. 1968.

1. *New York State Highways*. [State of New York Department of Commerce](/source/State_of_New_York_Department_of_Commerce). 1969.

1. *New York*. 1973 ed. [Shell Oil Company](/source/Shell_Oil_Company). 1973.

1. Case, Dick (20 December 2009). ["Mystery Santa's helper each year puts the red scarves on statues along I-690"](http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/mystery_santas_helper_each_yea.html). *The Post Standard*. Retrieved 2 May 2014.

1. ["Syracuse Highways: A Brief Historical Overview"](http://www.gribblenation.net/nypics/planned/syracuse/syrhist.html). Retrieved March 28, 2007.

1. [https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/02/what-do-you-think-of-the-new-i-690-on-ramp-in-syracuse-we-asked-the-dot-about-it-video.html](https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/02/what-do-you-think-of-the-new-i-690-on-ramp-in-syracuse-we-asked-the-dot-about-it-video.html)

1. [https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-opening-new-ramp-first-several-access-points-created-community-grid](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-opening-new-ramp-first-several-access-points-created-community-grid)

1. Weaver, Teri (2019-06-12). ["I-81 project includes full rebuild of 1.5 miles of I-690 in Syracuse"](https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/06/i-81-project-includes-full-rebuild-of-15-miles-of-i-690-in-syracuse.html). *syracuse*. Retrieved 2019-10-10.

1. McMahon, Julie (2019-04-22). ["I-81 timeline: Community grid will take 5 years of construction, NY says"](https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/04/i-81-timeline-community-grid-will-take-5-years-of-construction-ny-says.html). *syracuse*. Retrieved 2019-10-10.

1. CNYCentral (2019-04-23). ["I-81 Timeline: What happens next?"](http://cnycentral.com/news/local/i-81-timeline-what-happens-next). *WSTM*. Retrieved 2019-10-10.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Interstate 690](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_690) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_690?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.