This Year These Northway Safety Features Will Be Gone Forever

If you have traveled north on the Northway, you know that the terrain is mountainous and the weather can change in an instant. You may also know that cell phone reception is hit or miss. One safety feature that many motorists relied on in the past and was a staple on this roadway will be gone by the end of this year.

What Will Be Eliminated From I-87 Adirondack Northway?

The New York State Police have announced that the old Northway Call Box System will be a thing of the past. The call boxes were installed back in 1986 in northern Warren County all the way through Clinton County.

This provided one hundred miles of coverage. The boxes were used to contact state police in an emergency or for assistance if a vehicle was broken down. There are forty-seven working boxes.

The Call Boxes Are No Longer Useful

The call boxes have been useful for years but they have taken parts from ones that haven't worked and pieced together others. Now that more cell phone towers have been erected in the area of the spotty service, the boxes are no longer needed.

Why Is The Entire System Being Removed?

New York State Police have made the decision even though there are still some areas of the Adirondacks that have spotty service. They say they came to the decision to remove the call boxes because they only get fewer calls per year. The plan is to remove them box by box and be completed by the fall of this year.