Drivers traveling northbound on Interstate 481 should expect midday delays over the next two weeks as the New York State Department of Transportation installs noise barriers and begins converting exit signs to a mile-based system.
Crews will reduce I-481 to a single lane between the DeWitt and I-690 exits from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. The lane closures are part of a broader plan to modernize highway infrastructure across Onondaga, Cortland, and Oswego counties.
The DOT is replacing sequential exit numbers with mile-based ones on Interstates 81 and 690, as well as State Route 481. Exit numbers will now reflect the distance from the start of each highway—northbound from the Pennsylvania border on I-81, eastbound from the Thruway on I-690, and northbound from I-81 on Route 481.
The new exit numbers will appear on updated signs, with old numbers listed below during the transition. Work is expected to finish by the end of the year, except in areas tied to the ongoing I-81 Viaduct Project.
Lawmakers say the change will help drivers and emergency responders.
