New York State Route246 (NY246) is a 10.44-mile-long (16.80km) north–south state highway located in western New York in the United States. All but 0.09 miles (0.14km) of the route are located in Wyoming County; the northernmost intersection on the highway is in Genesee County instead. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY39 in the village of Perry and its northern terminus is at a junction with NY63 in the town of Pavilion. NY246 intersects U.S. Route20A (US20A) north of Perry village and also passes through the town of Covington.
The route was assigned as part of 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York to a proposed highway that eventually became what is now NY39 between Perry and US20A. At the time, the segment of modern NY246 south of Perry Center was part of NY245 while the part north of the hamlet was unnumbered. The alignments of NY245 and NY246 north of Perry were swapped c.1934, and NY246 was extended northward to its current terminus in Pavilion in the early 1950s.
Route description
NY246 begins at an intersection with NY39 in the village of Perry, southwest of the community's central business district. The route heads north as Center Street, crossing Silver Lake Outlet and passing by several blocks of homes. After six blocks, the residences give way to open farmland as NY246 heads out of the village and across the town of Perry. Farther north, the route serves several large farms on its way to the more residential hamlet of Perry Center, where NY246 meets US20A at the center of the community. Outside of Perry Center, the farmlands return as the route progresses generally northward, serving farms of varying sizes and connecting to roads of mostly local importance. The surroundings change temporarily at the hamlet of Lagrange 4 miles (6km) north of Perry Center, at which point NY246 crosses into the town of Covington.[3]
Across the town line, NY246, now named Perry Road, initially traverses similar surroundings to those in Perry. About 2 miles (3.2km) into Covington, NY246 descends into a small valley surrounding Pearl Creek, which feeds into the larger Oatka Creek3 miles (5km) to the west. While in the valley, NY246 passes through the isolated hamlet of Paines Corner, consisting of little more than a large farm. North of Paines Corner, the route ascends out of the valley and passes between a pair of large hills to access the linear hamlet of Covington, spread out across 0.5 miles (0.8km) of NY246. Past Covington, NY246 traverses more fields on its way to a junction with NY63. Just before it meets the route, however, NY246 crosses into the Genesee County town of Pavilion.[3] The route continues north of the county line for just 0.09 miles (0.14km) before ending at NY63.[1]
History
The north–south highway connecting the village of Perry to Perry Center was taken over by the state of New York by 1926[4] and designated as part of NY245 in the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. At the same time, NY246 was assigned to a proposed highway connecting NY245 in the village of Perry to NY36 north of the village of Mount Morris.[2][5] When construction on the highway began c.1933, the road was reconfigured on its northeastern end to merge with US20 (now US20A) southwest of Leicester instead.[6][7] The highway, now part of NY39, was completed by the following year; however, it opened as part of a realigned NY245 while NY246 was reassigned to NY245's former routing along the Perry–Perry Center highway.[8] NY246 was extended north to NY63 in Pavilion in the early 1950s.[9][10]