I-87 makes up most of the major strategic corridor between
New York City, the largest metropolitan area in the US, and
Montreal, the second-largest metropolitan area in Canada (formerly the largest). The
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) considers the route important for commerce, as it connects with numerous highways in the region and serves approximately 80 million people in the
Mid-Atlantic states,
New England, and
Quebec. Motorists can connect to multiple highways to travel farther south along I-95 through the Mid-Atlantic states or farther east into New England.
South of Albany Major Deegan Expressway I-87 and the Major Deegan Expressway begins in
the Bronx at the northern approach to the
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, where it connects to the
Bruckner Expressway (
I-278) at a
directional T interchange. The route heads west from the interchange, paralleling loosely with the
Harlem River through
Mott Haven. After , the highway makes a turn to the north, mirroring a change in the nearby river's course. It passes by
Yankee Stadium on its way to
Highbridge, where the Deegan connects to the
Cross Bronx Expressway (
I-95 and
US Route 1 [US 1]) at the eastern approach to the
Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The Deegan remains in close proximity to the Harlem River until the waterway turns westward at
Kingsbridge to form the northern edge of
Manhattan. The Major Deegan Expressway is named after
Major William Francis Deegan. North of Kingsbridge, the expressway follows a generally northeasterly alignment, passing through the center of
Van Cortlandt Park as it connects to
Mosholu Parkway and
Jerome Avenue. Mosholu Parkway also links the Deegan to the
Henry Hudson and
Saw Mill River parkways, which run parallel to the Major Deegan Expressway through the western Bronx and Manhattan. Past Jerome Avenue, the freeway gains a pair of
service roads and heads north to the
New York City line, where it becomes the
New York State Thruway as it passes into
Westchester County. The last northbound exit on the Deegan connects to McLean Avenue, located north of the city line in
Yonkers. The exit 14 ramp leads to the service road in the Bronx but does not meet McLean Avenue until it crosses the county line. Southbound access to McLean Avenue is provided by Thruway exit 1 in Yonkers. All three highways take generally parallel tracks to
Elmsford, where I-87 directly intersects the Saw Mill River Parkway at exit 7A. Not far to the north is exit 8, a
semi-directional T interchange with I-287 (the Cross Westchester Expressway). I-287 joins the Thruway here, following I-87 west across the
Hudson River into
Rockland County on the
Tappan Zee Bridge. I-87 and I-287 remain
overlapped for through the densely populated southern portion of Rockland County, meeting the
Palisades Interstate Parkway and the
Garden State Parkway Connector, with the latter providing access to the
Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. The Thruway continues generally westward to
Suffern, where I-87 and I-287 split at a large semi-directional T interchange (exit 15) only about a half mile () from the
New Jersey border. At this point, I-287 heads south into New Jersey while I-87 and the Thruway turn northward into the valley of the
Ramapo River. I-87 then widens to six lanes and runs across the capital city's residential suburbs for to exit 24, a complex interchange with I-90. At this point, I-87 leaves the Thruway to access the nearby south end of the toll-free Adirondack Northway, also known simply as the Northway, while I-90 merges in from the east to follow the Thruway toward
Buffalo and then
Pennsylvania. which links I-87 and I-90 to US 20. The Northway, the part of Interstate 87 (I-87) north of the New York State Thruway, was built in segments, which became I-87 as they were completed and linked to the pre-existing route. Construction began in the late 1950s on the portion of the Northway between the Thruway and
NY 7 near
Latham, and it was completed in 1960.
Albany and Saratoga counties I-87 heads northeast from I-90 as a six-lane freeway with three lanes in each direction. It immediately traverses the
Albany Pine Bush Preserve and passes west of
Rensselaer Lake before crossing
CSX Transportation's
Hudson Subdivision and running parallel to Wolf Road, a business thoroughfare through the town of
Colonie. Wolf Road itself begins adjacent to exit 2, a
cloverleaf interchange with
NY 5 (Central Avenue). Heading northbound, the ramp for exit 2E feeds directly into the intersection of NY 5 and Wolf Road, located just west of
Colonie Center, one of the
Capital District's largest enclosed shopping malls. I-87 continues to run alongside Wolf Road to exit 4, a modified
diamond interchange serving
County Route 151 (CR 151, named Albany Shaker Road) and
Albany International Airport. Wolf Road ends south of the exit; however, another section begins north of the junction, carrying
NY 155 away from the airport. Prior to the Northway, there was no break in Wolf Road; in essence, exit 4 was built on top of Wolf Road's intersection with Albany Shaker Road. I-87 and NY 155 meet at exit 5, with the latter routed along Watervliet Shaker Road. For its first few miles in Saratoga County, I-87 runs across lightly developed parts of the towns of
Halfmoon and
Clifton Park. Near exit 9, however, the freeway passes through the commercial center of Clifton Park as it connects to
NY 146.
Clifton Park Center, one of several shopping plazas at the junction, is situated southwest of the exit. Past exit 9, the commercial development subsides as I-87 traverses another area dominated by housing tracts. Just north of the exit, the freeway passes a rest area for northbound traffic. The freeway continues on, passing to the west of the centers of
Round Lake at exit 11 and
Malta at exit 12. The roadway then meets
US 9 at Exit 13, a
cloverleaf interchange providing access to
Saratoga Spa State Park and downtown Saratoga Springs. I-87 turns slightly to the northeast and begins to loosely parallel the northwestern edge of
Saratoga Lake as it crosses
Kayaderosseras Creek and enters
Saratoga Springs. As the route travels the east side of Saratoga Springs, it meets
NY 9P at exit 14. The junction is adjacent to the regionally popular
Saratoga Race Course and thus receives heavy traffic during the racing season. A southbound-only entrance ramp exists off Nelson Avenue Extension about south of exit 14, designed to handle traffic exiting the track at
Saratoga Race Course and the
Saratoga Casino Hotel. The highway continues around the eastern edge of Saratoga Springs to exit 15, where the relatively undeveloped areas east of I-87 are briefly replaced by
Wilton's commercial district along
NY 50. As I-87 continues northeast through Wilton, it heads across significantly less developed areas, with open fields becoming the most common feature along the road. It continues into
Moreau, connecting to
US 9 and serving
Moreau Lake State Park by way of exit 17, a once
cloverleaf interchange being converted to a "Parclo A2"
Partial cloverleaf interchange, before crossing the Hudson River and entering
Warren County.
Warren and Essex counties Between the bridge and exit 18, I-87 passes two rest areas, one for each direction. The road's northward course quickly brings it to the outskirts of
Glens Falls, and as such the highway heads across another swath of residential neighborhoods. Exits 18 and 19 are the main exits for the city, with the latter connecting to
NY 254 near
Aviation Mall, located on NY 254 just west of the route's junction with US 9. A northwestern turn in the freeway takes I-87 past the
Great Escape amusement park and
lodge, both of which are accessed from exit 20 and
NY 149. Past exit 20, I-87 runs across increasingly remote areas of Queensbury as the road enters
Adirondack Park and heads toward
Lake George. The freeway closely follows US 9 northwest to the village of
Lake George, where I-87 meets
NY 9N via exits 21 and 22. Route 9N veers to the northeast along the shore of Lake George as "Lake Shore Drive", toward the town of
Bolton Landing, a popular village on the shore of Lake George with shops and restaurants. Exit 22 is the last exit before the Northway begins traversing approximately of mostly rural areas where the exits become farther apart. Here, the Northway narrows from six to four lanes, preparing for the more rural areas and rugged terrain that follow. region from the northbound side of the Northway in
Schroon Lake|alt=A two-lane roadway with a white dashed line in the center, white solid line at the right edge, dashed yellow line at the left and brown metal guardrail alongside the left edge, with woods on either side, drops down a slope in the foreground. In the distance, blue with haze, is an irregular, ragged ridgeline North of Lake George, the Northway runs alongside US 9 to
Warrensburg, a small town on the
Schroon River served by exit 23. The view straight ahead on the northbound side from this interchange acts as an unofficial gateway to the Adirondacks, with tall mountains acting as a backdrop to a straight stretch of highway. While US 9 heads northwest into the
Warrensburg to connect to
NY 28, I-87 turns northward to follow the east bank of the Schroon River for through a deep, remote valley. The Northway reaches exit 24 while in this valley, which once again serves the town of
Bolton Landing. Exit 25 serves
NY 8 at a
diamond interchange. The stretch away from US 9 ends at exit 26, where I-87 reconnects to US 9 in
Pottersville. At this point, I-87 makes a slight turn to the northeast to follow US 9 as the latter road runs along the western shoreline of Schroon Lake. Both roads pass a handful of lakefront properties on their way into
Essex County and the town of
Schroon Lake, where the lake comes to an end and
NY 74 begins its eastward trek to
Ticonderoga at exit 28. The Schroon River resumes north of the exit, and I-87 and US 9 follow the river and its rural valley to the northeast for to the town of
North Hudson. In North Hudson, the valley becomes less pronounced as the Schroon River reaches its
source near exit 30. Here, US 9 and I-87 cross paths again, with the former heading northwest toward
Keene and the latter continuing northeast in a narrow valley formed by Ash Craft Brook. After , the stream reaches its source at Lincoln Pond, leaving the Northway to climb in elevation and wind its way northeastward across the surrounding mountains. It reaches slightly more level ground in
Westport, where I-87 connects to NY 9N at exit 31. From here, the highway takes a generally northerly track across the
Boquet River to the town of
Lewis, rejoining US 9 as both roads head toward
Clinton County. They split again after as US 9 veers more easterly than I-87 to serve
Keeseville. The Northway, meanwhile, heads to the northwest, bypassing the village to cross the
Ausable River and enter Clinton County.
Clinton County Just across the county line, I-87 intersects NY 9N again at exit 34 in
Keeseville, finally leaving the more rural, mountainous areas of the
Adirondack Mountains and entering a more populated region. Exit 34 is the southernmost junction to feature
bilingual guide signs in
English and
French due to the road's proximity to
Quebec. Beyond NY 9N, the Northway curves to the north, running along the west side of Keeseville before entering another rural but fairly level stretch that follows I-87 out of Adirondack Park. Now outside the park, the highway encounters more frequent pockets of development as it follows
NY 22 into the town of
Plattsburgh. Just inside the town line, the Northway crosses over the Salmon River and intersects NY 22 at exit 36, a junction serving nearby
Plattsburgh International Airport. While NY 22 heads northeast into the city of
Plattsburgh, I-87 runs north through its western suburbs, passing over the
Saranac River and intersecting
NY 3 at exit 37. The Northway and NY 22 meet again north of downtown at exit 38. The section of I-87 between exits 38 and 39 crosses a marshy area surrounding Dead Creek, a stream feeding into nearby
Plattsburgh Bay. Access to the bay shore is provided off to the northeast by exit 39, a modified cloverleaf interchange for
NY 314. Continuing away from the junction, I-87 comes within of
Lake Champlain as it follows US 9 away from Plattsburgh and northward across open, rolling fields in the towns of
Beekmantown and
Chazy. Outside of the hamlet of Chazy, the Northway begins to run across a series of
wetlands along the west side of US 9. The marshy terrain follows I-87 into the town of Champlain, where I-87 encounters the northernmost community along its course, the village of
Champlain. I-87 veers slightly westward to avoid the village, and in doing so it meets
US 11 at exit 42, a diamond interchange just west of the village limits. |alt=A divided highway going across a level landscape. On the right is a sign in English and French saying "Last U.S. Exit/Derniere Sortie EE. U." On the left the road goes away from the camera, up a slight rise to a more built-up area with a tall antenna. I-87 takes a northerly track from US 11, crossing the
Chazy River and briefly entering the village limits, where it runs past a series of homes and businesses built up along nearby US 9. As both roads head north out of the village, US 9 connects to the Northway one last time (also the northern terminus of US 9) at exit 43, the last interchange on I-87 before the Canadian border. Past the exit, the highway doubles in width, becoming eight lanes wide as it begins to run past the customs facilities on the American side of the border. The Northway and I-87 end shortly thereafter at the Canadian border, where the highway continues past the
Champlain–St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing into Quebec as
A-15 toward Montreal. ==History==