NY 282 originally served the hamlet of Smithboro on the northern riverbank via a toll bridge when it was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. The route south of the junction with former NY 283 was reconstructed during 1964 and 1965 while NY 282 was realigned in January 1969 to cross the river on a new bridge to the east of Smithboro as part of construction of the Southern Tier Expressway between Nichols and Owego.