New York State Route 146 (NY 146) is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. It extends for from Gallupville at NY 443 to near Mechanicville at U.S. Route 4 (US 4) and NY 32. NY 146 is a major thoroughfare in the city of Schenectady, just outside Albany. Most of the route follows an east–west alignment; however, the middle third of the route between Guilderland and Clifton Park runs in a more north–south manner in order to serve Schenectady. At one time, NY 146 had three spur routes; only one—NY 146A—still exists.
NY 146 was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. At the time, NY 146 began at modern NY 443 in Berne and followed what is now NY 156 northeast to Altamont while modern NY 146 west of Altamont was part of NY 156. The alignments of the two routes were flipped in the late 1930s. Other minor realignments have occurred since, most notably near Mechanicville.
Route description
Schoharie and Albany counties
NY 146 begins at a T-intersection with NY 443 in Gallupville, a hamlet within the town of Wright. The highway spends only in Schoharie County before passing into neighboring Albany County. Along this stretch, NY 146 has an intersection with County Route 26 (CR 26, named Larry Hill Road) just over from NY 443. After crossing into Albany County, NY 146 turns eastward and heads toward Albany, the capital of New York. In the Knox hamlet of West, NY 146 intersects CR 259. As NY 146 reaches the hamlet of East a short time later, it meets CRs 252, 260, 261, and 262 in quick succession. NY 146 continues eastward, passing through a rural area of Albany County on its way to the town of Guilderland and the village of Altamont contained within.
NY 146 enters Altamont from the west on Western Avenue. At Maple Avenue, NY 146 turns south to follow that street for two blocks while NY 397 begins on the road that NY 146 vacates. NY 146 leaves Maple Avenue at Main Street, which connects to NY 156 one block to the west. Both NY 156 and NY 146 are marked with signs directing traffic to the other route by way of this one block of Main Street. NY 146 heads east from Maple Avenue, following Main Street eastward out of the village. After leaving Altamont, NY 146 continues for about through a lightly populated portion of Guilderland before intersecting with the southern terminus of NY 158. The route progresses onward, intersecting CRs 201 and 202 and passing over the CSX Transportation-owned Selkirk Subdivision railroad line and Normans Kill before meeting US 20 at Hartmans Corners. NY 146 joins US 20 for about northwestward to McCormack Corners, where NY 146 leaves US 20 and heads northward toward Schenectady County. The route passes over the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 or I-90) just south of the county line.
Schenectady and Saratoga counties
At the county line, Fort Hunter Road (CR 71) leaves to the left just before an interchange with I-890. NY 146 continues on through Rotterdam, meeting NY 7 at a junction about south of Schenectady. The route continues on, paralleling I-890 into the Schenectady city limits at Glengary Avenue. Here, maintenance of the route shifts from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to the city of Schenectady. Five blocks later, NY 146 intersects with Altamont Avenue (unsigned NY 911H) just before crossing over I-890 and entering Schenectady's downtown district. In downtown Schenectady, NY 146 follows Brandywine Avenue northeastward past an intersection with NY 5 (State Street) to Union Street, where the route turns to follow Union eastward out of the city. Upon crossing into Niskayuna, ownership of the route shifts to Schenectady County, which maintains the roadway as CR 159. CR 159 ends five blocks later at Balltown Road (unsigned NY 914T). NY 146 turns north onto Balltown, becoming NYSDOT maintained once more in the process.