 From the early 1970s up through the late 1990s, traffic at the east end of NY 5S fed directly into Interstate 890 (I-890); likewise, traffic on I-890 west could only access NY 5S or the Thruway.In order to travel between Thruway exit 26 and the north side of the Mohawk River, travelers would have to use either the NY 5 bridge in downtown Schenectady or NY 103.A connector leading north from Thruway exit 26 to NY 5 west of Scotia was completed in 1998 and designated NY 890.