New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12 is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in the town of Chenango in the Southern Tier. The northern terminus is at NY 37 near the village of Morristown in the North Country. In between, the route serves three cities of varying size: Norwich, Utica, and Watertown. NY 12 intersects several primary routes, including US 20 in Sangerfield, New York State Thruway via Interstate 790 in Utica, overlaps NY 28 from Barneveld to the town of Remsen, NY 3 in Watertown, and I-81 in Pamelia and Orleans.
It is a two lane, undivided, full access roadway for the majority of its length, except between the village of New Hartford and Alder Creek, where it is a four-lane highway. Within that span, it is a limited access highway in the city of Utica, referred locally as The Arterial and the North-South Arterial. The distance between Utica and Binghamton is a major trucking route, and features many gas stations, truck stops, and fast food restaurants. Between Boonville and Lowville, it follows the Black River Valley. Then further north, between Watertown and Morristown, it follows the St. Lawrence River valley.
NY 12, as originally assigned in 1924, extended from Chenango in the south to Clayton in the north. It was extended east over the former routing of NY 3 to Alexandria Bay in 1930, then along a new roadway to Morristown in the 1960s. Parts of NY 12 have been rerouted onto new roadways in areas, primarily in Oneida County.
Route description
Broome and Chenango counties
NY 12 begins at US 11, which connects it to I-81, north of Binghamton in the Broome County town of Chenango. The route heads north through the Chenango River valley, connecting to I-88, and passing west of Chenango Valley State Park before traversing the Tioughnioga River near the community of Chenango Forks. On the northern bank of the river, NY 12 intersects and briefly overlaps NY 79 before continuing northward through the valley and into Chenango County.Image:NY12SouthernBegin.jpg|left|thumb|NY 12 begins its 200+ mile journey here at US 11 just north of Binghamton in Chenango.
Within Chenango County, NY 12 acts as the primary connector between the numerous communities located along the Chenango. In Greene, NY 12 intersects NY 206 and overlaps NY 41 for six blocks through the village before continuing northeast for to Oxford, where it intersects the eastern terminus of NY 220. After another, NY 12 enters the city of Norwich, becomes South Broad Street, and then intersects the western terminus of NY 990L. The South Broad moniker remains with the route northward through the city until the downtown district, where NY 12 turns into North Broad Street at a junction with NY 23. NY 12 loses the street name soon afterward as it leaves the city and intersects the western terminus of NY 320 north of Norwich and south of Norwich Lt. Warren Eaton Airport.
The route and the Chenango River remain in close proximity to one another up through the village of Sherburne, where NY 12 intersects NY 80. North of the village center, the river breaks to the west, following NY 12B to the northwest while NY 12 continues northward into rural Madison County.
Madison and Oneida counties
Across the county line, NY 12 joins the Sangerfield River as it heads north through the narrow southeastern portion of the county. Near the northern border of Madison County, the route shifts slightly east to bypass a marshy area around the Sangerfield River known as the Ninemile Swamp. The conditions persist into Oneida County to just south of the Sangerfield hamlet of the same name, where the swamp ends as the river curves away from NY 12. At the actual community, NY 12 intersects US 20.The route continues north for an additional to the village of Waterville, home to an intersection between NY 12 and NY 315. Outside of Waterville, NY 12 heads north once more through hilly, sparsely populated areas of New York toward Utica. In the Utica suburb of New Hartford, the route intersects Genesee Street, then NY 5 a short distance east of where NY 12B terminates at NY 5. NY 12 turns east, joining NY 5 northeast on a limited-access highway known locally as the North-South Arterial. Upon crossing into the Utica city limits, the Arterial intersects NY 8 and NY 840 by way of a cloverleaf interchange. NY 8 joins the freeway here, following NY 5 and NY 12 through southern Utica as the arterial meets French Road and then Burrstone Road by way of a pair of interchanges. After the Burrstone Road interchange, the arterial becomes a divided highway through downtown before becoming limited-access once more just past Noyes Street. After a short distance the highway intersects Court Street via a single point urban interchange then Oriskany Street.
Between Oriskany Street and the New York State Thruway, NY 5, 8, and 12 is part of the Interstate Highway System as I-790 overlaps all three routes northward over the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal before leaving the arterial at a large interchange on the north bank of the canal. NY 5 turns off as well, following I-790 eastward. Meanwhile, NY 8 and NY 12 interchange with NY 49, partially via the I-790 exit ramps, and passes over the Thruway before continuing northward out of the city limits.
NY 8 and NY 12 remain limited-access as they proceed through the northern suburbs of Utica, connecting to Mulaney Road and Trenton Road via interchanges in Deerfield. Farther north in the town, NY 8 leaves the freeway by way of a trumpet interchange. Although the amount of development around NY 12 declines as it heads northward, it continues as an expressway to a point north of the Putnam Road interchange in Trenton, where the road reverts to a limited-access four-lane highway. This configuration remains through the villages of Barneveld, where NY 28 joins NY 12 south of the village, then intersects Mappa Avenue in the village. From here NY 12 and NY 28 continues northward for a short distance and then connects to NY 365 via an interchange. From NY 365, it continues northward and intersects Steuben Street, the former NY 28B, east of the village of Remsen. From here NY 12 and NY 28 continue northward to the vicinity of Alder Creek in the town of Boonville, where NY 28 leaves NY 12 via a partial trumpet interchange and the road narrows to two lanes shortly afterward.
From Alder Creek to Boonville, NY 12 loosely follows the path of the Black River as it heads northwest. Inside Boonville, NY 12D departs NY 12 and begins to follow a northward routing parallel to that of its parent. Together with NY 12D and the Black River, NY 12 passes into the region of New York known as the North Country.
North Country
The path of NY 12 through New York's North Country consists of three primary subregions: rural Lewis County, urban Watertown, and the numerous communities that line the southern bank of the St. Lawrence River, here the geographical divide between the United States and Canada.Lewis County
NY 12, NY 12D, and the Black River continue to follow parallel routings north through the village of Port Leyden to Lyons Falls, where NY 12D returns to NY 12 just west of the village. Heading north NY 12 passes under NY 12D. Whereas NY 12D heads northeast from NY 12 on Cherry Street to access Lyons Falls before heading west over NY 12 and out of the village. NY 12 continues north along the vicinity of the Black River to Lowville, where NY 12 briefly overlaps NY 26 and meets NY 812 before leaving both the village and the river to the west.Roughly outside Lowville, at West Lowville, NY 12 leaves its due west alignment and curves to the northwest, with the westerly alignment continuing onward as NY 177. From here to the area surrounding Copenhagen, NY 12 passes through largely undeveloped terrain, save for a pair of isolated roadside communities. This trend ceases, albeit temporary, in the village of Copenhagen, located on the banks of the Deer River at the crossroads of NY 12 and the former NY 194. Outside the limits, the route resumes its trek through the rural North Country.
Watertown area
NY 12 enters Jefferson County on its way to Watertown just north of Copenhagen. NY 12 is known as Van Allen Road, crossing with Jefferson county roads in Rutland. At the intersection with CR 67, NY 12 turns to the north and enters Watertown as Gifford Street. NY 12 intersects with NY 126 just northeast of Thompson Park and Watertown Golf Club and turns to the northwest. As NY 12 continues through southern parts of Watertown, NY 3 intersects and becomes concurrent. NY 3 and NY 12 enter Watertown Public Square and split into divided highways. Here, NY 283 starts to the northeast. The eastern terminus of NY 12F is accessed via NY 12 southbound.NY 3 and NY 12 split, just northwest of the Public Square. NY 3 splits to the west, NY 12 heads to the northwest, and quickly becomes concurrent with US 11. The two roads cross a river and split in different directions. NY 12 heads to the northeast, intersecting with a suffixed route, NY 12E, and passes North Watertown Cemetery before connecting to I-81 at exit 47. NY 12 leaves Watertown afterwards and heads northeast through rural northwestern Jefferson County, along the way intersecting the western terminus of NY 342. North of Perch Lake in the southeastern corner of the town of Clayton, NY 12 intersects NY 180. From here, NY 12 continues approximately north and reaches the village of Clayton on the St. Lawrence River. On the south side of the village NY 12 intersects NY 12E and James Street, a loop through the village of Clayton. From here NY 12 turns east, intersects Webb Street, then continues following State Street out of Clayton.
St. Lawrence River
NY 12 continues northeast along the south bank of the St. Lawrence, intersecting Mason Point Road and NY 180, and passing south of Grass Point State Park prior to encountering I-81, at exit 50, southwest of the village of Alexandria Bay. Farther northeast, NY 12 passes by Keewaydin State Park before intersecting the northern terminus of NY 26 and Church Street in the southwestern portion of the village. The latter was a former northern extension of NY 26.Outside of Alexandria Bay, NY 12 temporarily turns east and leaves the riverbank to avoid Goose Bay, a small body of water partially separated from the St. Lawrence by two protruding points of land. The route then curves back toward the water and follows the eastern length of the bay, serving the seaside hamlet of Goose Bay near the bay's midpoint. North of Goose Bay, NY 12 intersects Kring Point Road, an access road leading to Kring Point State Park, and crosses into St. Lawrence County. NY 12 continues along the southern bank of the St. Lawrence River as it proceeds through the rural western portion of the county. In the town of Hammond, past the county line, NY 12 intersects CR 6, a roadway leading east to the village of Hammond and Black Lake. Farther north in Morristown, NY 12 travels through Jacques Cartier State Park before terminating at an interchange with NY 37 just south of the Morristown village limits.