Portal:Hudson Valley/Selected article/20

New York State Route 311 (NY 311) is a state highway located entirely within Putnam County, New York, United States. The highway begins at New York State Route 52 in Lake Carmel, and intersects Interstate 84 shortly thereafter. It crosses NY 164 and NY 292 as it heads into the northeastern part of the county, finally curving east to reach its northern terminus at NY 22 just south of the Dutchess County line. The route passes several historical sites. Part of modern-day Route 311 was originally the Philipstown Turnpike, a road built in 1815 to overcome a lack of transportation when the Hudson River froze during the winter months. The turnpike was a large business center for the county, though it was abandoned due to insufficient tolls to maintain it. Another section was constructed in the early 1900s, from the Patterson Baptist Church near the modern-day intersection of Route 311 and Route 164 to the Village of Patterson, by a group of Italian immigrants. In the 1930 renumbering, the segment of former NY 39 east of West Patterson was renumbered to NY 311. In the late 1930s, NY 52 was realigned to its current alignment between Stormville and Lake Carmel.