New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald announced that a 15.8-mile portion of Route 17 in Chemung County has been designated by the Federal Highway Administration as Interstate 86. The designation comes after an extensive rehabilitation project to upgrade the road to federal interstate standards.
by Staff
September 17, 2013
1 min to read
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald announced that a 15.8-mile portion of Route 17 in Chemung County has been designated by the Federal Highway Administration as Interstate 86. The designation comes after an extensive rehabilitation project to upgrade the road to federal interstate standards.
“Upgrading Route 17 to interstate standards will improve safety and make traveling through the southern corridor more efficient for commuters, tourists and commercial drivers,” McDonald said. “The designation of the Elmira-Chemung portion of highway as Interstate 86 extends the vital link from Tioga County west to the Pennsylvania line along New York’s southern border.”
Ad Loading...
A total of 15.8 miles in the towns of Ashland, Chemung and Elmira, Chemung County, has been designated between Exit 56 and the Tioga County line. A portion of this stretch already met interstate standards, and the other 6.5-mile portion underwent a significant rehabilitation project in order to qualify for interstate standards.
The 381-mile highway stretches from the Pennsylvania state line in western New York, to Interstate 87 in the Hudson Valley. More than half of Route 17 has already been designated as I-86, with just more than 200 miles of highways upgraded to interstate standards. The remaining 186 miles of Route 17 are in various stages of project development from preliminary design to construction.
Listen as transportation attorney and TruckSafe Consulting President Brandon Wiseman joins the HDT Talks Trucking podcast to unpack the “regulatory turbulence” of last year and what it means for trucking fleets in 2026.
Safety, uptime, and insurance costs directly impact profitability. This eBook looks at how fleet software is evolving to deliver real ROI through proactive maintenance, AI-powered video telematics, and real-time driver coaching. Learn how fleets are reducing crashes, defending claims, and using integrated data to make smarter operational decisions.
Fleet software is getting more sophisticated and effective than ever, tying big data models together to transform maintenance, safety, and the value of your existing tech stack. Fleet technology upgrades are undoubtedly an investment, but updated technology can offer a much higher return. Read how upgrading your fleet technology can increase the return on your investment.
The Federal Highway Administration is asking motor carriers and truck drivers to give input on where and when drivers have difficulty finding truck parking, and on how drivers prefer to get information on available parking.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration continues a crackdown on an increasing number of states it says have been issuing non-domiciled CDLs improperly.
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took several actions in 2025 to tighten enforcement of regulations for commercial drivers. Will those affect trucking capacity in 2026?
Lisa Kelly talks to HDT about the return of the show Ice Road Truckers, what really happens on the ice roads, how reality TV shapes drivers’ stories, and the career she’s built beyond the show.
