▁Cat sk ill ▁Mountains ▁and ▁Orange ▁and ▁Rock land ▁Count ies ▁had ▁become ▁pr one ▁to ▁massive ▁traffic ▁j ams ▁due ▁to ▁both ▁its ▁w inding ▁and ▁narrow ▁composition ▁and ▁con g estion ▁in ▁the ▁villages ▁and ▁ham lets ▁along ▁the ▁highway . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁began ▁making ▁plans ▁to ▁construct ▁an ▁express way ▁leading ▁from ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Th ru way ▁at ▁Harr iman ▁to ▁the ▁Cat sk ills . ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁NY   1 7 ▁fre ew ay ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁in ▁the ▁Hudson ▁Valley ▁town ▁of ▁Wall kill . ▁The ▁first ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁fre ew ay , ▁a ▁by pass ▁of ▁M idd let own ▁between ▁Fair ▁O aks ▁( exit   1 1 8 A , ▁since ▁removed ) ▁and ▁G os hen ▁( exit   1 2 3 ), ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁as ▁a ▁real ignment ▁of ▁NY   1 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁several ▁severe ▁acc idents ▁occurred ▁along ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁surface ▁NY   1 7 , ▁comp elling ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁make ▁construct ing ▁the ▁fre ew ay , ▁dub bed ▁the ▁" Qu ick way ", ▁a ▁higher ▁priority . ▁ ▁The ▁road ▁was ▁extended ▁east ▁first , ▁reaching ▁Ch ester ▁( exit   1 2 7 ) ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁the ▁Th ru way ▁near ▁Harr iman ▁in ▁August ▁ 1