Alternate Routes for Flooded Roads in Utica Area

Five days of intense rainfall in Central New York has caused major flooding in our region. One of the major problems has been the closure of roads across the Mohawk Valley.  Here are some alternate routes to try if you're road is closed.

NOTE: These alternate routes are based on my own observations and knowledge of the area's roads. These are not official detours and all road closed signs should be obeyed.

ROUTE 5 and 5S in Herkimer County

East-West travel across Herkimer County between Frankfort and Little Falls has been hampered by both Routes 5 and 5S being closed as various points in the county.

The alternate to traverse the county would be the New York State Thruway. To present, Interstate 90 has remained open through the entire flooding incident.

Route 365A in Oneida

Oneida suffered some of the worst of the damage from Friday's floods. Route 365A, which   travels east-west between Oneida Castle through downtown Oneida to Upper Lenox Ave near the Wampsville line has been closed since then.

Alternate: Route 5 east-west through the city of Oneida is open.

North-South travel in Herkimer County

Many of the north-south routes in Herkimer are also closed including portions of Route 51 though Ilion gorge, Route 28 and all of Route 171.

To get south, the best bet would probably be to take Route 8 south of Utica via the Sauquoit Valley Arterial to US 20. US 20 traverses the southern portion of Herkimer County and has remained open.