Mission: The NYS Thruway Authority operates and maintains a reliable, user-fee supported Vision: To operate and maintain an essential transportation corridor that supports and enhances economic activity, by reliably delivering high levels of safety, convenience, and service while modernizing to meet dynamic customer and partner needs in a financially responsible manner. Our History The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. It set the standard for modern highway geometric design with safe roadway characteristics including smooth curves, wide medians, and unobstructed driver sight distances. For more than 60 years, the Thruway system has been essential for commerce and travel in the Northeast. About one-third of all vehicles using the Thruway are from out of state. The Thruway System also plays a vital role in New York State's economy. This 570-mile superhighway, with 815 bridges, 118 interchanges and 27 service areas, connects New York's principal cities, rural areas, and tourist destinations. The mainline of the Thruway extends 426 miles, from New York City to Buffalo (I-87 and I-90). Other elements of the system include the New England Thruway (I-95), the Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287), the Garden State Parkway Connector, the Berkshire Connector (I-90), the Niagara Thruway (I-190), and the Erie Section (I90). The Thruway converted to an entirely cashless tolling system in November 2020.