Proposed route of I98 rooftop highway
For generations, Northern New York has been waiting for its turn.
Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, state leaders recognized that the North Country deserved more than winding two-lane highways. They proposed what became known as the Rooftop Highway—a limited-access expressway stretching from the Watertown area east across the St. Lawrence Valley to the Champlain region, connecting Interstate 81 with Interstate 87. Supporters believed it would finally place the North Country on equal footing with the rest of New York State.
The proposal wasn’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. In 1961, legislation sought to include the route in the Interstate Highway System, and for decades the concept resurfaced under different names, including the Northern Tier Expressway and, eventually, the proposed Interstate 98. The highway was envisioned as roughly 175 miles of modern transportation infrastructure following much of the U.S. Route 11 corridor.
By the early 2000s, New York commissioned extensive transportation studies. Those studies examined costs, traffic projections, environmental concerns and alternatives. Ultimately, state transportation officials concluded that the traffic volumes at the time did not justify building a full Interstate, and attention shifted toward improving sections of U.S. Route 11 instead. The Rooftop Highway slowly faded from public conversation.
But that was more than twenty years ago.
The world has changed.
Fort Drum has become one of the nation’s most important military installations. Supply chains have become a matter of national security. Manufacturing is returning to the United States. Cross-border commerce continues to shape the North Country economy. Communities throughout Northern New York are searching for ways to attract employers, investment and families.
Perhaps most importantly, the transportation studies that effectively shelved the Rooftop Highway were based on a very different economic landscape than the one we face today.
The Watertown Post believes it is time for a new study—not one based on 2002 assumptions, but one based on the realities of 2026 and beyond.
Whether the final answer is a full Interstate, a phased expressway, or strategic four-laning of the busiest portions of U.S. Route 11 should be determined by current facts, not decades-old projections.
Washington is also talking once again about rebuilding American infrastructure and accelerating major projects. If federal permitting and funding become more favorable, Northern New York should be prepared with a serious, well-researched proposal instead of watching other regions receive the investment.
This is not a Republican issue.
This is not a Democratic issue.
This is a North Country issue.
As voters prepare to choose the next representative for New York’s 21st Congressional District, this is exactly the kind of long-term vision that deserves discussion. We believe candidates should explain how they would improve transportation and economic development across Northern New York. If elected, Anthony Constantino would have an opportunity to champion a fresh look at the Rooftop Highway in Washington. Likewise, his opponent, Blake Gendebien, should also support reopening the conversation if the evidence shows such an investment would benefit the region.
There is no reason that improving the economic future of Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton counties should be a partisan battle.
The North Country has spent decades waiting for someone to think big again.
Maybe it’s finally time.
Not because the Rooftop Highway is an old idea.
Because the future of Northern New York deserves a new one.
About the Author
