Central New York saw a big step forward regarding the I-81 Viaduct Project Tuesday. An $18 million flyover ramp is open in Cicero. It’s a high-speed connection for travelers leaving Syracuse and northern suburbs over the mainline of the interstate to I-81 northbound in Cicero. Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said it will help residents traveling north get there safely and efficiently.
"It's literally flying over the other lanes of traffic, so you can see how it's constructed, you're allowed to have a high-speed movement instead of coming to a stop or slowing down to 15, 20, 25 miles an hour," she said. "It allows traffic to move faster. It's safer actually, believe it or not, at higher speeds."
It’s the first of several projects that gets the state closer to tearing down the aging I-81 viaduct and changing the way drivers travel in and around Syracuse. Dominguez said getting these early projects completed will benefit commuters and visitors.
"Bottom line is that we're taking care of everything to try and make sure that all of the work in and around the city of Syracuse is in really good shape, "Dominguez said. "So when we actually move into the city of Syracuse to begin to take down the viaduct, people have a way to move literally around the city of Syracuse."
Several other projects connected with the Interstates 481 and 81 northern interchange are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The removal of the viaduct is scheduled to begin sometime in 2026, and the entire project including the Community Grid is expected to be completed by 2028. Click here to find out more information about the project, the I-81 Connect mobile app and search for related stories on our website. For a virtual simulation of what it will be like to drive northbound into Syracuse once the Community Grid is built click here.
