I-87 Exit 3 and Exit 4

New York’s Adirondack Northway is a 176-mile section of I-87, known as the Northway, between Albany and the Canadian border. For decades, travelers on that route would wonder why there was no Exit 3. Streamlining the connection between the Northway and the Albany International Airport, Exit 3 has now become a reality.

Our team designed this $48 million project, improving interchange access and mobility by removing traffic from intersections with high crash rates and providing geometric improvements to those intersections. An auxiliary lane was constructed on I-87 northbound between Exits 4 and 5, a noise reduction wall northbound between Exits 4 and 5, a new multi-use path, and widening and intersection improvements on Albany Shaker Road. Appeasing to many stakeholders, this highly visible project protected sensitive environmental features while shielding the airport’s runway protection zone and approach surface. The project reduces travel time for major routes by 25%, and diverts traffic from intersections with high crash rates. For drivers of the Adirondack Northway, the question of the missing Exit 3 has finally been answered.