The New York State Department of Transportation recently began a $1.1 million project to convert exit signs along I-88 to a mile-based numbering system; a highway stretching more than 117 miles across six counties (Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie and Schenectady) that serves as a vital east-west link for motorists and communities.
[Above photo via NYSDOT]
“These new mile-based exit signs on I-88 are a simple change with a real safety benefit – helping drivers better understand where they are along the highway – while giving emergency responders another clear way to quickly pinpoint a location when time matters most,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, NYSDOT commissioner, in a statement.
“Every improvement we make along our vast state highway system is about making our transportation system work better for everyone,” she added. “This conversion to mile-based exits will give travelers along I-88 a better sense of where they are on their journey, while helping our first responders do their jobs even more effectively.”
Nearly all U.S. states use mile-based exit numbering systems as they are widely recognized as an efficient alternative to sequential exit numbering, NYSDOT explained. The project will bring I-88 in line with the milage-based numbering used on many other interstate highways, including I-81, which underwent a similar conversion in Broome County in 2025.
To minimize confusion, existing signs will temporarily display both numbers, with the new mile-based exit numbers on top and the old sequential number on the bottom. The old numbers will eventually be phased out, NYSDOT said.
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