Paint peels off an I-81 viaduct. Credit: Michael Greenlar | Central Current

The state Department of Transportation is poised to bring major changes to traffic patterns to install a new roundabout on Van Buren Street, near the Interstate 81 viaduct and Syracuse University.

Construction will last for six months through November, Parmley said.

Building the roundabout is part of a sixth contract issued by the state to reimagine Interstate 81, which includes the teardown of a 1.4-mile section of the elevated highway, also known as the viaduct.  

The creation of the roundabout could have a number of consequences for people driving into the city. During construction, drivers headed to the Carrier Dome, Upstate University Hospital and other key landmarks could have their paths affected. It could also affect drivers headed to Syracuse University’s commencement or SU football games, said Pete Sala, SU’s chief facilities officer. 

The $2.25 billion project will see the viaduct be replaced by a community grid. The state is expected to start tearing down the viaduct by the end of 2026. 

The roundabout is a portion of construction that will cost the state nearly $900 million. Included in that construction is: 

  • The reconstruction of Interstate 690, from Leavenworth to Irving avenues
  • The construction of new ramps
  • The rehabilitation of two bridges
  • Construction of 25 new bridges and the removal of 36 existing bridges

“This is a complex contract,” said Betsy Parmley, the NYSDOT regional director at a press conference on Monday to announce the new roundabout. 

DOT officials hope the new roundabout at Van Buren Street will help increase safety for pedestrians and drivers. 

The roundabout was originally intended to be placed near the STEAM at Dr. King Elementary School. Protests from the community compelled the DOT to move the roundabout to Van Buren street. 

The two-lane roundabout will slow the northbound traffic from Business Loop 81 as motorists transition from a highway to the street-level grid as well as connect drivers to downtown, University Hill, and other businesses and neighborhoods.  

A shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians will connect to the roundabout north of Van Buren Street to help pedestrians safely cross to the east side of Business Loop 81, as shown in the DOT’s renderings. 

Road closures expected during the construction include: 

  • Van Buren Street, between Almond Street and Henry Street 
  • Almond Street, between Taylor Street and Van Buren Street

A portion of Irving Avenue, south of the Crouse Hospital parking garage to Waverly Place will become a one-way street during the construction of the Van Buren Street roundabout. This will help increase safety for patients, visitors and hospital employees who only have to pay heed to one way traffic, Parmley said. 

Parmley also said that big rectangular rapid flashing beacons will be installed on Marshall Street to alert drivers about pedestrians crossing the road. 

According to NYSDOT, motorists must adhere to the following detours:

  • From Interstate 81 southbound off ramp at Exit 18 (Adams Street/Harrison Street): east on East Adams Street, to south on Irving Avenue, to Van Buren Street
  • From Almond Street: north on Almond Street, to east on East Adams Street, to south on Irving Avenue, to Van Buren Street
  • From Henry Street: east on Van Buren Street, to north on Irving Avenue, to east on Waverly Avenue, to north on South Crouse Avenue, to west on Harrison Street, to south on East Adams Street, to Taylor Street

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Debadrita Sur is a multimedia journalist and Report for America corps member who reports on the I-81 project and public housing for Central Current. In 2023, Sur graduated with a master’s degree in journalism...