A judge’s ruling in a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Transportation stopped all work on the Interstate 81 project two weeks ago.
You can read the full lawsuit as it was initially filed yourself below.
The plaintiffs are group calling themselves “Renew 81 for All.” They’ve accused the state of a number of errors in the process of planning a replacement for the aging highway. The lawsuit claims the state DOT did not conduct a thorough reviews of how construction would affect on the region. The lawsuit asks a judge to nullify all underlying approvals of the project, and for the state to have to start the review process over again.
Renew 81 for All includes Onondaga County Legislator Charles Garland, former Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler and a group of suburban politicians, among others.
Judge Gerard Neri granted Renew 81 for All a temporary stay, blocking any work to replace Interstate 81 with a community grid until Neri can hear oral arguments from both sides.
Those arguments are scheduled for Jan. 12.
The documents below include Renew 81 for All’s initial claims, along with supporting statements written by some of its members.
