The portion of the New York State Thruway from Rochester east to the Westmoreland hamlet of Lowell opened on June 24, 1954. At the time, exit 39 connected directly to NY 48. As early as 1954, plans were drawn up to construct a freeway along the NY 48 corridor between the Thruway and NY 48 at the New York State Fairgrounds just northwest of the Syracuse city limits. Construction on the highway, situated between NY 48 and Onondaga Lake, began in the mid-1950s and was completed by 1961. Other areas of State Fair Boulevard (NY 48) were upgraded into limited-access highways, including at Thruway exit 39 and in downtown Syracuse. As a result, NY 48 was truncated to its present southern terminus at the freeway, designated as I-690, in Van Buren.