▁by ▁New ▁York ' s ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Robert ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁the ▁ ▁route ▁provided ▁non stop ▁access ▁between ▁Harr iman ▁and ▁B ingham ton , ▁and ▁by ▁extension ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁B ingham ton . ▁It ▁connected ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Th ru way ▁( I - 8 7 ) ▁to ▁I - 8 1 . ▁Despite ▁fla ws ▁in ▁the ▁highway ' s ▁design ▁— ▁it ▁included ▁a ▁grade - level ▁rail road ▁crossing ▁near ▁Fair ▁O aks ▁( since ▁removed ) ▁and ▁two ▁st ret ches ▁with ▁inter sections ▁and ▁drive way ▁access ▁— ▁the ▁Quick way ▁succeeded ▁in ▁eas ing ▁travel ▁through ▁southern ▁New ▁York , ▁cutting ▁the ▁driving ▁time ▁in ▁half ▁and ▁the ▁accident ▁rate ▁by ▁ 7 0 ▁percent . ▁ ▁Southern ▁Tier ▁Express way ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁New ▁York ▁Governor ▁Thomas ▁De we y ▁proposed ▁construct ing ▁four ▁super high ways ▁across ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁supp lement ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Th ru way . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁proposed ▁limited - access ▁high ways ▁would ▁cut ▁across ▁the ▁Southern ▁Tier , ▁linking ▁I - 9 0 ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁to ▁B ingham ton ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁The ▁first ▁segments ▁of ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Southern ▁Tier ▁Express way , ▁a ▁west ward ▁continu ation ▁of ▁the ▁Quick way , ▁were ▁completed ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Four ▁sections ▁were ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁at ▁this ▁time : ▁Kennedy