CR 52 became a state highway in 1979 and was designated as part of NY 283 in the 1980s, with the route continuing west over locally maintained streets to serve downtown Watertown.

It parallels the southern bank of the Black River to the eastern edge of the downtown district, where the highway crosses the waterway by way of Sewalls Island and becomes known as Pearl Street.

Here, the line of commercial properties gives way to open, rolling fields as the route heads northeastward across the southern part of the town.

[4] Across the town line in Le Ray, NY 283 continues to run across largely undeveloped rolling terrain, passing a small number of scattered residences.

Most of these lie on the outskirts of the small hamlet of Calcium, located 1 mile (1.6 km) to the northwest of NY 283 on US 11, which loosely parallels the former through Pamelia and Le Ray.