Talk:Interstate 787

northern terminus

Has the northern end really been truncated to end at NY 787? Or did NYSDOT just remove signage on the NY 7 portion into Troy, making the I-787 designation over the bridge a secret designation? 130.132.94.174 23:27, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

I have no idea, but there are no reliable sources cited. (2003) and (2004) do show it ending west of the bridge, but the mileage in (2002) takes it across the bridge. I think to establish for sure that the FHWA actually did truncate it, we either need something that unambiguously states it or two copies of the same document from different dates, one with it using the bridge and the later one without. Otherwise we could be dealing with a map error. --NE2 00:40, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I had responded to this slightly earlier, although I don't think the response "took" since my browser crashed for an unrelated reason. Using I-787 nearly daily, though, (and this may constitute original research), signs for I-787 are no longer on the bridge, and the former "END I-787" sign was removed from Troy. There may be a couple of SOUTH signs westbound from a side ramp, but in Troy the signs are all "TO" I-787. Even with a secret designation, the removal of all signs was done to alleviate confusion, so that I-787 leads directly into NY-787, the same as with I-481/NY-481 and I-690/NY-690 in Syracuse and I-890/NY-890 in Schenectady. Now reference markers on the Collar City Bridge do read "787I", but such signs are there for inventory, not designation. At one time, NY 7 was duplexed with I-787 one exit south and together they crossed the bridge (neither Alternate 7 nor NY 787 were in existence for several years).Fwgoebel 00:56, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

According to NYSDOT (), I-787 still crosses over the Hudson, running concurrent with NY 7 to 8th Street. In short, yes, it is a secret designation, likely to eliminate any possible confusion as Fwgoebel said above. --TMF ^{Let's Go Mets - Stats} 01:07, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

My suggestion then would be to have the article read as it's signed, but explaining in a History section and detailing in Miscellanea, its secret designation (including reference marker notations). The last part will make sense when I do the Reference Marker article I've been wanting to do. Fwgoebel 04:49, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I disagree. We should cover the road as it exists, and mention secondarily that it's not signed along NY 7. --NE2 06:12, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I agree with NE2. To write the article as if I-787 ends at the NY 7/787 interchange, even if the unsigned NY 7 duplex is mentioned in another section, could be misleading. --TMF ^{Let's Go Mets - Stats} 06:17, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Given the consensus, I will rework the article per that (give me some time, it will be forthcoming). I will ask, though: Is it just me, or is the I-787 shield not showing up in the infobox? If I click where it should be, it displays.Fwgoebel 15:14, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Try bypassing your cache. I purged the shield last night, so it should display now. --TMF ^{Let's Go Mets - Stats} 16:11, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I emailed FHWA when we were still debating this, expecting to get confirmation of it ending in Troy. Instead, I got this:

The north end of Interstate I-787 in New York State is at Exit 9, the interchange with NY Route 7 in Green Island. NY Route 787 continues north beyond this interchange and ends at NY Route 32/Saratoga Street/Mohawk Street.

To the best of our knowledge, I-787 never crossed the Hudson River into Troy. The Hudson River crossings into Troy are the Menands Bridge (NY Route 378), the Congress Street Bridge (NY Route 2), the Green Island Bridge (Albany Avenue/Federal Street), and the Collar City Bridge (NY Route 7).

This email is not a reliable source, but it re-opens the question for us. Is it possible that FHWA and NYSDOT disagree? The NHS map does, after all, show I-787 ending in Green Island. --NE2 17:38, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

After seeing that e-mail, then it appears that the FHWA is disagreeing with itself. The FHWA route log puts I-787 at 10.16 miles, as does the NYSDOT traffic count - placing the end of I-787 in Troy. The route log is accurate as of 10/31/02 and the count as of 8/16/06. Perhaps I-787 was decommissioned along NY 7 sometime in between and no one told NYSDOT? I dunno, but I'd feel more comfortable using the Troy terminus supported by the FHWA route log and NYSDOT. --TMF ^{Let's Go Mets - Stats} 17:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I asked for a confirmation, citing the NYSDOT log and the FHWA's mileage. --NE2 18:32, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm on a wikibreak, but I did catch this and wanted to weigh in. Prior to the construction of "Alternate 7" (between Northway and exit 9, a 65 mph superhighway section of route 7), I-787 duplexed with NY 7 from its exit 8 (then unnumbered) all the way into Troy. On 787, there was no other way to go. NY 7 followed what is now NY 2 into Watervliet. The ramp from the 787 mainline to the Collar City Bridge (ramp for exit 9E) had a sign "North 787 East 7" but it's gone now. There is but one sign in Troy, and it's on the bridge heading west: "South 787 West 7" and I do have a photo of it. Meanwhile, NYSDOT reference markers continue to say "787I" on the bridge, and that's because they're inventoried under that number. If redesignated, they markers still reflect the old alignment. NYSDOT doing a route log following the original I-787 path may just be a continuation of practice, and/or a study on what's considered the primary use of that group of highways. I still await what you get back, though I won't be active for the near future. Fwgoebel 19:35, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Here's the reply:

You are correct as the official end of I-787 was to 10th street in Troy. However when alternate Route 7 was completed the decision was made that I-787 would not extend beyond the Route 7 interchange.

Maybe for now we can just say that there are inconsistencies between sources - the NHS maps and main NYSDOT log end it at NY 7, and the detailed NYSDOT log and mileage (probably submitted by NYSDOT) take it to Troy. --NE2 09:37, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Port of Albany

I cant seem to get the Port of Albany redlink changed to the correct Port of Albany-Rensselaer which is the correct article. (I dont know why its a redlink, there is an article titled Port of Albany, its the port in the city of Albany, Western Australia)Camelbinky (talk) 21:47, 11 December 2008 (UTC)

historic sites demolished for or covered by 787

Might be a good subsection. "Uncle Sam" Samuel Wilson's house in Troy, New York (anticipating 787 would go there; it didn't), Al-Tro Island Park, must be others. Will try finding sources and add later. Шизомби (talk) 16:16, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

There are good sources I've used to add some good info recently to Menands, New York that might be useful. For the most part in the cities of Albany and Watervliet however I-787 was built on land reclaimed from the Hudson River (or the Albany Basin).Camelbinky (talk) 21:24, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Route Description- Subsections

Why is the Northern Terminus a separate sub-section within Route Description as opposed to just being a new paragraph with a the existing narrative about the dispute where the road ends? Content is fine, photo is fine, but the section splitting is awkward and somewhat confusing. 108.21.182.146 (talk) 17:16, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

787 loop to I-87 and northern extension

The original plan I saw in 1987 had plans showing a multi-level limited access extension from Saratoga St up along the river and a cloverleaf at Route 9 and I-87 just south of the Twin Bridges. The 787 loop continued along the Mohawk River to meet I-890 and I-88. There was an additional extension of 787 continuing straight at the Mohawk River and the highway split going to 87 or paralleled Route 32 over the old Champlain Canal. The end of the northern extension was just past the old train station and 787 would have continued straight onto Route 4/32 north and traffic coming south from Mechanicville to Waterford could enter the beginning of this extension south.

This was designed to create a huge loop, much like Baltimore, where 787 would have ringed the entire Capital District.with the Thruway exit 23 to 24 and 25 making the southern and western half of the loop.

Traffic going through from Albany and points along 787 north could avoid all city streets and proceed north along the Hudson River, and west along the Mohawk River.

Looking at the massive traffic jam every day at the current end of 787, and seeing all the traffic on 32 and on N Mohawk St and The Cohoes Crescent Rd and the traffic jams at the Twin Bridges, it is clear why this was originally planned and why it's absence causes so much traffic.

The reason why they stopped where they did, which made no sense, came down to lack of money.

The project took a long time for the short distances it covered. Each 1000 foot section took years. The final curve from Ontario St to New Cortland took 3 years.

I remember several times having to drive over the curb that was not cut and remained at the end with the traffic lights taped and bagged.

When they replaced the Rt 32 bridge there was talk of doing the expressway over the Canal to relieve the traffic on 32 through Waterford using a double laned bridge for 32 and the 787 expressway. But they scrapped it.

The same thing happened with the plan for the new bridge over the Cohoes Falls connecting Fonda Rd in Cohoes to Fonda Rd in Halfmoon. There were drawings and plans on the front page of the Troy Record Newspaper showing them.

So many great ideas that never happened because of lack of money.

By contrast, I-88, which sees almost no traffic, was a huge project that costs a huge amount and they got it done. Many nights I have driven the entire I-88 and not a sole vehicle on either side, except for me. Very beautiful and peaceful especially in the winter with the snow reflecting in the moonlight. Williamsimard (talk) 05:46, 5 June 2026 (UTC)