A section of Route 17 in Chemung County has officially become Interstate 86. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, the 16-mile stretch of highway was officially designated as part of Interstate 86 by the Federal Highway Administration. The new part of the Interstate spans from Exit 56 to the Tioga County Line. More than half of the newly converted road had already met the interstate standards, but there was a 6.5 mile stretch that had to undergo construction. Route 17 runs from the Pennsylvania state line in Western New York to Interstate 87 in the Hudson Valley. As of this month, over half of Route 17 has met interstate standards and has been designated as Interstate 86.
