Many planned freeways and expressways in the Capital District did not get built. The map above, created by Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas for the New York State Department of Transportation, centers on Albany, showing multiple cancelled corridors around Albany. The Northway would have extended south parallel to the Thruway, running directly into I-787 at US 9W. The Mid-Crosstown Arterial would have extended south along the US 9 and US 9W corridor to I-787 and the Thruway. The South Mall Arterial would have extended in both directions; to the west, it would have ended at the Mid-Crosstown Arterial, and to the east, it would have extended to I-90 and NY 43. I-687 would have connected I-90 (from the interchange at Corporate Woods Boulevard) to the Northway and Albany International Airport, and the NY 85 freeway would have traveled south to the NY 85 and NY 85A interchange near Voorheesbille and to the north to I-687.
There were also plans to extend I-88 along the NY 7 corridor (part of which is now NY 7 between I-87 and I-787) and the NY 378 freeway northward along US 4 in Troy. Additionally, the divided highways of US 9 and NY 50 would have connected in Saratoga Springs along the railroad right of way, connecting the existing divided highways at the edges of the city.