Another brief undeveloped stretch leads to the Mohawk River (Erie Canal), which the highway crosses to reach the town of Rotterdam.

NY 890 also widens to six lanes at this point to accommodate the road's upcoming junction with the New York State Thruway.

[5] The crossing part of the proposal gained traction in 1973 when the final section of I-890 was built to accommodate a northward extension[6] and a future exit with NY 5S near the riverbank.

No construction of any kind was present north of the river,[9] even though the state of New York had purchased the road's right-of-way.

[8] A study of the crossing project began in March 1985 using $800,000 in funds from Rebuild New York[10] and continued through December 1986.

[14] In 1995, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) finally made plans to construct the highway, now projected to cost $52 million as originally designed.

The latter contract, valued at just under $7.5 million, would build ramps and highways on the right-of-ways that had graded and leveled years before, as well as rehabilitate and widen three previously unused bridges, including the two installed along the extension's alignment.

[2] It was designated as NY 890 at this time, becoming one of several state routes to serve as an extension of a like-numbered Interstate Highway.