New York State Route 400
New York State Route 400 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Expressway | ||||
Map of the Buffalo area with NY 400 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NYSDOT | ||||
| Length | 16.91 mi[1] (27.21 km) | |||
| Existed | January 1, 1970[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  NY 16 in Aurora | |||
  US 20A / NY 78 in East Aurora US 20 / NY 78 in West Seneca | ||||
| North end |   I-90 / New York Thruway in Buffalo | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New York | |||
| Counties | Erie | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
New York State Route 400 (NY 400) is a 16.91-mile-long (27.21 km) state highway located within Erie County, New York, in the United States. The northwest end is connected to the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 or I-90) and the southeast end terminates at NY 16 in the town of Aurora. NY 400, a limited-access highway known as the Aurora Expressway, roughly parallels NY 16 between the two locations. It is most commonly used to carry traffic from Buffalo to the village of East Aurora, where Fisher-Price and Moog, Inc are headquartered. It is a busy commuter route to the southern suburbs. NY 400 is signed as a north–south route, although about half of the route runs more east–west.
The northwest end of NY 400 is in the southern part of Buffalo at the Thruway. The southeast end is north of the hamlet of South Wales, which is located in the town of Wales. At this end, the route connects to Olean Road and continues south as NY 16. The highway crosses Cazenovia Creek just before ending.
Route description
NY 400 begins northwest of the hamlet of South Wales in the town of Aurora; however, South Wales, situated less than 0.5 miles (0.8 km) southeast of the route's end, is located in the adjacent town of Wales. At its southern end, NY 400 splits off of Olean Road, taking with it NY 16 which occupies Olean Road to the south. The two routes head north-northwest from here as the Aurora Expressway through rural areas in the town of Aurora. After passing by Emery County Park, NY 16 leaves the expressway back onto Olean Road on one of three junctions that only allow access in one cardinal direction, this one to the south as a northbound exit and southbound entrance. NY 400 continues heading in a primarily northward direction; however, it briefly turns back in a slight east direction to avoid the village of East Aurora.
Remaining rural, NY 400 crosses just to the east of East Aurora, encountering U.S. Route 20A (US 20A) and NY 78 (Big Tree Road) at a northbound entrance and southbound exit. North of here, entering the town of Elma, it turns to the west to meet with Maple Street at the final single-direction junction, a northbound entrance and southbound exit. The expressway then turns northwest to intersect with Jamison Road (formerly NY 422) by way of a full diamond interchange. NY 400 also passes a small industrial area containing manufacturing plants for Moog, Inc, Motorola, Servotronics, and Steuben Foods located on Maple Street and Jamison Road.
NY 400 continues northwest, paralleling NY 16 and NY 78 on Seneca Street and becoming more suburban and heavily trafficked. On the Elma–West Seneca town line, a full cloverleaf interchange occurs with US 20 and NY 78 on Transit Road, just north of the Seneca Street/Transit Road intersection. The expressway turns in a more western direction here, as well, though there is still a slight deflection to the north.
The expressway continues to parallel NY 16 (Seneca Street), now running between NY 16 to the south and the North America Center industrial park to the north. The Norfolk Southern Railway separates NY 400 from the industrial park. It intersects with NY 277 (Union Road), again just north of the NY 16 (Seneca Street) intersection with the road. After a final exit for NY 16, it encounters the New York State Thruway (I-90) at the beginning of I-90's eight-lane section through Buffalo, signifying its high use during rush hour.
History
Exit 54 on the New York Thruway existed from the Thruway's opening south of Buffalo on December 14, 1957;[3] at that time, the exit comprised the roadways of the NY 16 exit of NY 400, and NY 400 west of there. Construction began on the Aurora Expressway in the late 1960s. The first section, from the Thruway interchange to Jamison Street in Elma, opened August 20, 1969.[4] Later that year, the highway was extended to Maple Road (now Maple Street) on December 12.[5] Work concluded in 1971, with the opening of an extension to US 20A on August 11,[6] and completed on September 15, twelve days after its dedication ceremony.[7] The entirety of the expressway, then incomplete, was designated as NY 400 on January 1, 1970.[2]
The intersection where NY 400 terminates at NY 16 in South Wales has been reconfigured over time. When the expressway was first constructed, the flow of traffic along Olean Road was unimpeded while traffic from NY 400 was forced to merge with NY 16 at a sharp angled intersection.[8] The junction was later altered so that southbound traffic on NY 400 continues onto NY 16 south with no merging required while commuters on NY 16 north were guided onto the expressway rather than onto Olean Road. Olean Road, however, was still accessible by way of a four-way intersection with Richardson Road just west of the former junction.[9] In a bid to reduce congestion and accidents, this intersection was upgraded to a roundabout, with construction ending on November 30, 2022.[10]
Exit list
The entire route is in Erie County. All exits are unnumbered.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Aurora | 0.00 | 0.00 |  NY 16 south – Holland, Olean | Southern terminus | |
| NY 951V (Olean Road) – East Aurora | Southern terminus of unsigned NY 951V; at-grade intersection | ||||
| 1.99 | 3.20 |  NY 16 north – East Aurora | Northern end of NY 16 / NY 400 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance; NY 16 leaves northbound and joins southbound | ||
| Olean Road (NY 951V) | Northern terminus of unsigned NY 951V | ||||
| 4.05 | 6.52 | US 20A / NY 78 – East Aurora | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| Elma | 7.12 | 11.46 |  CR 241 (Maple Street) | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
| 8.39 | 13.50 |  CR 574 (Jamison Road) – Elma | Former routing of NY 422 | ||
| Elma–West Seneca town line | 11.96 | 19.25 | US 20 / NY 78 (Transit Road) | ||
| West Seneca | 14.98 | 24.11 |  NY 277 (Union Road) | ||
| 16.40 | 26.39 | NY 16 (Seneca Street) – West Seneca | |||
| Buffalo | 16.91 | 27.21 | I-90 / New York Thruway – Buffalo, Erie | Northern terminus; exit 54 on I-90 / Thruway | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b "2008 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. June 16, 2009. pp. 307–308. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ a b State of New York Department of Transportation (January 1, 1970). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State (PDF). Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "Last Link Opened Here, Thruway Now Spans State". The Buffalo News. 1957-12-14. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
- ^ "Expressway Link to Elma Opens". The Buffalo News. 1969-08-20. p. 38. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Elma Link to Open In Aurora Expwy". The Buffalo News. 1969-12-11. p. 30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Aurora Expwy. to Open Extension to Route 20A". The Buffalo News. 1971-08-10. p. 43. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Aurora Expwy. Opens Tomorrow". The Buffalo News. 1971-09-14. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ Holland Quadrangle – New York – Erie Co (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. 1979.
- ^ Holland Quadrangle – New York – Erie Co (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. 2016.
- ^ "New roundabout installed at NYS routes 400 and 16". News 4 Buffalo. 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
External links
- New York State Route 400 at Alps' Roads • New York Routes • Upstate New York Roads