I-787 & More: Albany, NY

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, I had been wanting to film Albany for some time, glad that it worked out to where I could.

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you, it is a very cool interchange.

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you! I did film all of I-787 to the north but had to cut it from the video to make everything work with the song & timing. These tours are much more difficult to make than just a straight 15-20 mile stretch of the same road.

[@luvcarsgay]

Nice to see my old hometown highways captured so well on video. Thank you.

[@RicksTravelogue]

You made my day. Was I ever surprised when my phone dinged to tell me I had this new video to watch. Well, welcome to Albany, home of the unfinished. Route 9's two big interchanges with highways here showcases this, both with the Circle and the Stack. Good work. Only wished you continued up 787 along the Hudson to Route 7, and did a little more on the Route 9/90 interchange. Beautiful shots on the Dunn, even if they were with added orange.

[@cjs121675]

Wow! LOVE that stack! Impressive- almost as impressive as the Dallas High-5 stack in Dallas! Plus, I love the views of the skyline of Albany!!!!!!

[@wert13d]

I love sseing the people how this I 787 & I 90 was built. Thanks!

[@Crocfan20]

Excellent video man, the I-90/787 stack is impressive. Great choice of music too!

[@jmvfrva]

Amazed by the numbers of videos that you have pumped out from your trip last summer!

[@pjg19751]

I lived in Albany for eight years ('98-'06) and worked for the NYS DOT. The stacks are not even designed like that anymore. The decks are set on what are called "rocker bearings" - they literally move based on traffic and weather conditions. Back in 2005, one of the decks on the Dunn Memorial shifted away from a pier, creating a separation. Road was closed for weeks. The deck literally had to be lifted back up into place using a pair of pneumatic jacks. Also note, the tall building in Empire State Plaza is the 42-story Corning Tower - the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City.

[@wschmrdr]

Glad you were filming near my alma mater, RPI. I used to go to Rensselaer for groceries, since that's where the Aldi was. Actually, in speaking of Alternate 7, they actually completed the "northern" section (more like northeast) of VT 279 (the Bennington Bypass), which was also part of that proposed highway to Concord. It's a Super 2 in the middle of nowhere, but a very nice drive.

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, yes I would LOVE to do a "360" of that interchange.

[@magnoeustaquiodocarmo5673]

I love yours videos,Jim.

[@Freewayjim]

thanks!

[@connormartin6137]

Freewayjim I live in the Albany area. Great video!

[@Freewayjim]

@Jason Le What exactly did you fix?

[@Freewayjim]

The High Five is far more impressive in person, but the circle stack is very unique.

[@deesnotts]

i was there last month, selkirk and glenmount.. i drove 87s to n bergen and philly.. love it out there.

[@MissRobbiOKC]

I really loved that one! The Circle Stack is really impressive. And also impressive are the views of Albany's skyline. I would love to see New York beginning in NYC and north on Hwy 9 through Westchester and all the way along the Hudson to Albany. Great video!!

[@braupaul]

Your in my neck of the woods. My dad works in the DEC building which the one with the green dome. When the movie Salt came to town, he said that they could see the filming taking place on the street below. And yes my family does own a copy of Salt on DVD.

[@fuun17]

cool and fun interchanges to drive on.

[@LatvianRoadsYT]

Awesome video and great chill music! Thanks for the effort!

[@TheSolarcatcher]

That was quite awesome Jim! Loved how you put that together!

[@RicksTravelogue]

Albany is big on the cancelled/unbuilt highways. Both Route 9 interchanges were supposed to be a part of a bigger network, instead became stubs. One further exit up I-90, Exit 5A, is a high-speed ramp supposed to connect with I-687 and head towards the airport, but was cancelled with only that stub built. Exit 4, Route 85, was supposed to connect with that unbuilt highway. The Route 7 bypass to Troy [called locally Alternate Route 7] was supposed to head into VT. So yeah, unbuilt city.

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@EuropeanRoads]

Driving to Empire Plaza is surreal. Definitely one of my favorite Freewayjim videos.

[@thediscostu4127]

There are actually 3 4-level stack interchanges in a row. The circle stack by Empire State Plaza, the intersection of I-787 and I-90, and then if you go west from there the interchange of 1-90 and US-9 which was supposed to be one of the endpoints of the Mid-Crosstown Arterial, which was supposed to intersect the South Mall Arterial inside tunnels underneath Washington Park. I assume that the Mid-Crosstown was supposed to carry the US-9 designation and the South Mall was supposed to carry US-20.

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, it was tricky, I had to reluctantly leave out some footage to make it all work.

[@PoughTownBoy]

Albany looks much larger than its population of close to 100,000 residents. I hope you do more upstate NY cities....Great video.

[@Freewayjim]

I agree, it does, thank you!

[@PoughTownBoy]

My pleasure Jim !

[@Freewayjim]

One of my favorites too, thanks!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, I thought SALT was pretty good, hope you enjoy it!

[@Freewayjim]

I loved Salt too, where else can you find seamless integration of Washington DC and Albany highways :) And you know I love SD, thanks!

[@FinlaythePug]

Wow! You finally made it to Upstate NY in your videos! I never knew NYS had such interchanges! It's funny you mention the highway that abruptly ends. NYS has a whole host of highways that have been canceled. An example from here in Buffalo is in the 1950s they planned on making an outer belt that would hit all its suburbs. As the population decreased there was no need. Only 10 miles of this belt exist. 5 at the northern terminus and 5 at the southern (Milestrip Expy and LaSalle Expy).

[@frankmaiorana66]

I was born in Troy in 66, moved out of Upstate NY, visited in 73 and again in 77. The majority of changes appeared to be between 73 and 77. The last time I traveled in this part of Albany was minutes after Rhonda and I got engaged. I took her to the house in West Sand Lake where my Mom and Dad brought me home for the first time. That is where I proposed to her.

[@charlestonchewy]

IDOT (Illinois Dept of Transportation) needs to take notes on this for Chicago's expressways.

[@califgirl101]

Another awesome road tour in the books! Haven't seen the movie Salt yet and I'm lookin to see it soon! :)

[@FreewayBrent]

REALLLLLY interesting interchange (the "Circle Interchange"). I had absolutely no idea such an interchange existed in Albany. I'd love to see you do a 360 tour of that, someday. Funny how Albany, with a population about 1/50th of New York City (or a metro population of about 1/24th) seems to have a much better constructed and designed freeway network, lol.

[@backstreetrules]

wonderful ride..thnx

[@logwind]

Not only is the surface of 787 in disrepair, it is a favorite for police. Keep it under 60 folks.

[@rescuesquadmj]

Live just across the river from Albany!

[@socarboy]

Another hit from Master Jim!

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you!

[@benlonghighway]

3:33 Wha-what's the turn around for? Isn't there anything to see on I-787 up to Route 7 in Troy? 5:08 Woah, that's an interesting ramp! 5:19 I've never been there before! I've only seen a few thing at Albany when I went with dad overnight to check out some of the attractions he's seen when he was much younger, including his old high school in Niskayuna. 6:00 Well, there's always next time! :) Great video, Jim! I'm definitely going there again after seeing this interchange!

[@dave11686]

Sweet, great vid as always Jim!

[@RicksTravelogue]

The hills in the distance at 6:16 are probably the hills of southern Washington County, namely Willard Mountain (1415').

[@NorthEastRegional]

I definitely need to do one too in Albany, I love the interchange as much as I like Baltimore's, both are amazing and stunning. I've only been thru there via MegaBus so I couldn't produce a video I liked, but still awesome job in Albany, my State's capital!

[@seanwilliams2764]

See ya next spring ! Im downsouth for now....

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!

[@pleasecho2]

I love it. Makes it look like it's always under repair. Oh wait...

[@ryalsiszerk]

great vid..did you do a video on the jackie robinson expressway?

[@Jackbauer1350]

Amazing interchanges. The bigggest interchanges in the Netherlands are Prins Clausplein and Ridderkerk. But those seem small compared to most of the US interchanges.

[@Freewayjim]

Albany has a Metro population of less than a Million, Atlanta is almost 6 million, Boston around 5 Million, no comparison at all. For its size, Albany has some interesting freeways, I'll just leave it at that....I'd suggest you look at some maps and Google Earth if you want to compare them in greater detail.

[@EpicThe112]

Great video Jim and from what I saw near the end of the video looks like I-90 North of Albany seems to have low through traffic count if they are bound to new England it's because of travelers having to pay two tolls at I-87/I-90 exit 24 and Berkshire ext B1 instead they use I-87 Nys thruway to exit 21A to bypass Albany.

[@679steelers9]

This is a part on I-90 near downtown Albany where there are back to back 4 level intersection exits. Right?

[@Freewayjim]

Blake Steenrod Yes, I noted that at 6:44.

[@RobertStukowski]

Nice video by the way :)

[@dolape7002]

very nice video Jim. It seems that the road is in work. Congratulations from Rosario, Argentina. Dante

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you, this video is from 2 years ago so hopefully the roadwork has been completed.

[@dolape7002]

Freewayjim thank you,have you been in Buffalo? I´d like to see any video of taht city.

[@Freewayjim]

dolape7002 Thank you, I have been to Buffalo but have not filmed it yet.

[@dolape7002]

ok,I wait to it. Your videos are a goog tool to know america and cheeper than travel to there. Best wishes.

[@Freewayjim]

dolape7002 Don't hold your breath waiting for a Buffalo video, that's just somewhere I don't get to. Thanks for watching!

[@rileysmith9843]

Think you could do Syracuse? I-81 through Downtown is coming down in a few years anyway, and I was thinking you could hit it before 81’s elevated viaduct comes down for good in a few years’ time, and I-81 gets rerouted to I-481.

[@Freewayjim]

I have no plans to go to Syracuse, been there once, not impressed.

[@rileysmith9843]

Not impressed for which reasons?

[@Freewayjim]

@@rileysmith9843 It's just meh, there's nothing really special or interesting about it, not worth going out of my way for.

[@Freewayjim]

Got 9 more yet to come.

[@megaman803]

How would be compare Albany, NY, to Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Providence, RI; Hartford, CT; Montgomery, AL; Nashville, TN; and other U.S. state capital cities based on any factors (i.e. freeway systems)?

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks, no I did not film that road.

[@PfctvsPontivsPilatvs]

Did you ever drive the I-195 "circle stack" in Fall River?

[@Freewayjim]

Yes, I have a video of it as well.

[@PfctvsPontivsPilatvs]

Cool. All I have to do is enter "Fall River freewayjim" then. :^)

[@Freewayjim]

Looks like you did it, good!

[@RicksTravelogue]

Albany needs something. If not a light rail/rapid transit, then a solution to the daily gridlock between Exits 7 and 9 on I-87. You have a train track that goes from Albany to Schenectady and then to Saratoga Springs and Fort Edward, why not try to contract with Canadian Pacific to see if you can't set up a commuter rail that would run mornings and evenings to bring people to and from Albany-Rensselaer. Even if you had to dualize the track for extra traffic.

[@tyburns3689]

Good job Jim! For once........From Sean!

[@Freewayjim]

For once? excuse me?

[@Freewayjim]

Atlanta

[@RicksTravelogue]

You've clearly never been on 87 north at Exit 7's onramp at 5:10PM. Especially on a Friday in Summer. ;)

[@schystxr]

I visit Albany NY to see my father side of my Family and Columbia SC to see my mother side of Family

[@Freewayjim]

I have not filmed I-81 and I most likely wont.

[@TheEvilways101]

who does this!???

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks.....@3:33...no!

[@francolucien9448]

Stacks look like a roller coaster.

[@francolucien9448]

Who needs amusement parks in Albany when you can just go for a drive?!

[@im1greatman]

The first thing you see coming into Albany from I-787 North is low income project buildings. If that doesn't tell you what Albany's about, nothing will.

[@Dog_dude-f7w]

I 787 IS THE SAME BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THIS NOW IN 2021

[@kidkidfht5484]

I live in Rensselaer

[@Freewayjim]

Not sure I understand the context of your comment.

[@k3evso]

What is the city at the beginning of your video?

[@58bigjim]

Can the video speed be slowed down??

[@Freewayjim]

The video is synched to the song, to slow it down would take completely re-working it to a longer song, or two songs which would take hours to do. If you look at my other videos, you'll see that this si consistent with what I do. This kind of video footage at real time speed is very boring so in a word to answer your question, no.

[@amujacy461]

I love Albany.

[@jonathanmonarch8089]

Downtown Albany New York

[@Paul-lm5gv]

Your 'normal' speed on my laptop seems awfully fast! Were you going over the speed limit? Bec. this wasn't helpful at all to identify exit signs!

[@Freewayjim]

The footage is sped up 3-4x to sync with the music, it's not about exits signs, it's about the overall experience and ride.

[@extremebilly124doesrobloxa3]

Is albany urban?

[@ZacharyC2000]

Yes

[@AnimatingStudios2002]

I HATE MUSIC

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!

[@Freewayjim]

Thank you!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!

[@Freewayjim]

Thanks!