valley. The first junction along the route leads to exit 64, the first of three exits directly connecting NY 434 to the nearby freeway. Continuing on, NY 434 serves a housing tract and a cluster of commercial properties at the southeastern edge of the village before heading into less developed areas of the town. For most of the next , NY 434 runs directly alongside the eastbound lanes of the freeway, separated by only a fence in all but a handful of areas. East of the village limits, the Southern Tier Expressway and NY 434 curve to the southeast, mirroring a similar turn in the course of the river and its surrounding valley. The route continues through forests and mostly undeveloped fields, serving exit 65 of NY 17 and passing by Owego Town Court ahead of another bend in the river. NY 434 and the freeway again turn to match, proceeding generally eastward across an area of marshland along the southern edge of the river valley. Past the marsh, the valley swerves southward for a second time, taking the Susquehanna River and the two roads alongside it into an area with firmer ground. Here, NY 434 begins to run along a line of homes and businesses that mark the northern edge of the hamlet of Apalachin. The highway heads generally southeasterly through the community to Apalachin's central business district, largely centered around NY 434's junction with County Route 41 (CR 41). Continuing on, the route passes through a small, undeveloped area at an intersection with NY 962J, a signed reference route linking NY 434 to part of exit 66 and to NY 17C on the north bank of the river. Past NY 962J, the path of the Susquehanna River turns again, taking on a northeasterly track toward the Broome County line. NY 434 bends northeastward as a result, running past several scattered businesses on the outskirts of Apalachin before finally leaving the community. Occasional stretches of homes continue to follow the route to the county line, where the road widens from two to four lanes and becomes a divided highway. Broome County Across the county line in the town of Vestal, NY 434 assumes the name Vestal Parkway and heads into more densely populated areas that serve as Binghamton's suburbs. The homes alongside the road are replaced by businesses in the hamlet of Vestal, the first of several large communities