To attend:
The open house will be held Thursday at OneGroup, located at 706 N. Clinton St., and will last from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New York State Department of Transportation officials are hosting an open house about the next steps in the reconstruction of Interstate 81 and the removal of the highway’s viaduct.
The open house will be held Thursday at OneGroup, located at 706 N. Clinton St., and will last from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The meeting will focus on the reconstruction of bridges over I-81 and the addition of sidewalks and on and off ramps in the North Side and near the Inner Harbor.
“We recognize that people live in this community,” said Elizabeth Parmley, the DOT’s I-81 Viaduct Project Director. “This is a big project. So we’re trying to minimize any impact people may experience.”
So far, the DOT has begun work on two contracts in the first phase of the viaduct removal project. Much of the work has focused on outlying areas, like the reconstruction of the I-81/I-481 northern interchange.
Once the project is completed in 2028, I-481 will become the new I-81. The current I-81, which cuts through the city, will be redesignated as Business Loop 81.
The construction in the North Side and near the Inner Harbor is part of a third contract. That work has yet to begin but will start soon and is likely to be completed in 2026.
The $218.9 million contract was awarded last month to Salt City Constructors, the second contract the company has won under the viaduct removal project. The contract covers the reconstruction of four bridges that connect the Inner Harbor with the city’s North Side. They are the:
- Bear Street bridge
- Spencer Street bridge
- Court Street bridge
The plan aims to improve pedestrian safety with new sidewalks that will be installed from Clinton Street to Bear Street, where they currently do not exist. To provide non-car access to the North Side, bike and pedestrian paths will be built along Clinton Street. More robust paths will be added to the Spencer Street and Bear Street bridges.
About 700 new trees, street lighting, new traffic signals and improved access to the Empire State Trail are also part of the work.
The construction will also add a new bridge from Bear Street to the business loop, according to a presentation from DOT officials to the Syracuse Common Council.
In all, the project will consist of two phases split into eight contracts. Work on the project — including the removal of the viaduct — is expected to be completed in 2028.
Residents with questions about the Interstate 81 project can stop into two outreach centers. One is located at the Hills Building, located at 217 Montgomery St. It is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The other is Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, located at 515 Oakwood Ave. It is open Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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