New York State Route 17B

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NY Route 17B

Length:

21.90 mi^[1] (35.24 km)

West end:

NY 97 at Callicoon

East end:

NY 17 at Monticello

Counties:

Sullivan

Numbered highways in New York
< NY 17A		NY 17C >
Interstates - U.S. Routes - State Routes

New York State Route 17B is a state highway located entirely within Sullivan County. It connects Callicoon at its western end with Monticello in the east (although it actually ends at an interchange with NY 17 just to the north of the village.

1 Route description
2 Communities along the route
3 Major intersections
4 History
5 References

[edit] Route description

From its terminus at 97, 17B makes its way up out of the Delaware River valley on a winding path, much like the other state roads in this thinly populated corner of New York. NY 52A, the first other state highway 17B encounters, leaves in a northerly direction five miles from the start. NY 52 joins 17B not too long afterward.

Route 17B between White Lake and Monticello.

A half-mile afterwards, 52 continues its southward course to Narrowsburg while 17B splits off to the east on a good, wide road that passes through mostly open farming country. Seven miles along, NY 55 comes in from the north to create another multiplex through White Lake of 0.75 mile before splitting off again, this time to Barryville. After this minimally built-up junction that constitutes the center of White Lake, the vacation cottage community of Smallwood to the south of the road is responsible for increased traffic in the summertime.

17B continues eastward for another seven miles before reaching Monticello Raceway and its western end at NY 17.

[edit] Communities along the route

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Road(s)	Notes
Sullivan	Callicoon	0.0	NY 97
	E of Callicoon	5.2	NY 52A	Western terminus of NY 52A.
	Falls Mills	6.5	NY 52	Western terminus of duplex.
	Fosterdale	7.0	NY 52	Eastern terminus of duplex.
	White Lake	13.7	NY 55	Western terminus of duplex.
	White Lake	14.5	NY 55	Eastern terminus of duplex.
	Monticello	21.5	NY 17	Exit 104 (NY 17).

Legend
Crossing, no access	Concurrency termini	Decommissioned	Unconstructed	Closed

[edit] History

Between Fosterdale and Monticello, 17B follows the route of the old Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike, elsewhere followed by the main NY 17 and, closer to Newburgh, NY 17K. This accounts for the straight, wide route much more amenable to modern vehicular use than the other inland state highways in this half of the county.

For most of the 20th century, the road was the major thoroughfare that each June took hundreds of kids to the many sleepaway camps along the 17B corridor: Camp Kennybook, Camp Ma-Ho-Ge, Camp Chipinaw, Camp Ranger to name a few. It also took many more to and from the hotels and bungalow colonies such as Esther Manor (where singer [Neil Sedaka]] met his future wife and launched his celebrity career), and the [Bradstan Country Hotel] in White Lake.

The normally lightly-trafficked road became the most-used in the state in the middle of August 1969, when the legendary Woodstock Festival was held in one of local dairy farmer Max Yasgur's alfalfa fields at the junction of Hurd and West Shore roads just off the highway in the Town of Bethel. Nearby sections of 17B between the site and Monticello became cluttered with abandoned vehicles as concertgoers raced to catch the three-day show.

Bethel now proudly refers to it on its signage welcoming visitors, and it has become its major attraction. Stores along 17B near the site sell relevant souvenirs, such as tie-dyed T-shirts and recordings by the artists who performed.

In July 2006, Bethel Woods Center for The Arts opened for business, giving the 17B corridor more activity than it had seen in 37 years as the New York Philharmonic played the inaugural concert at the state-of-the-art music venue. And on August 13, 2006, some 16,000 fans attended Crosby Stills Nash & Young at Bethel Woods. Their encore song was appropriately, "Woodstock."

In early 2007, county and local government officials might have to think of expanding access to and from 17B with the possibility of a major Native American casino being built at Monticello Raceway.