With spring underway, construction season is intensifying across Central New York. Contractors are racing with the weather to meet rapid I-81 redevelopment deadlines for reshaping the highway. It’s currently moving from ‘the outer edges of Syracuse’ - inward - toward the heart of downtown. Drivers continue to deal with frequent lane shutdowns and traffic shifts in all directions. State DOT regional director David Smith said the road work is changing on a daily basis.
“There is so much work that's ongoing right now, and I talk to people all the time who say, ‘I didn't travel through this section of 81 in two days, and the next time I come through, it looks different.’ Our contractors are doing an outstanding job," he said. "They're moving very quickly, and in doing so, there are changes on the roadway on a regular basis.”
Smith urges drivers to stay informed on frequent changes by using the I-81 Connect App. He says they should be especially mindful of traffic both north and south of the city where the highway connects with Interstate 481.
That highway will eventually become the new I-81. State DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said projects along Syracuse’s outskirts -- like the new fly-over ramp in Cicero -- clear the way so contractors can dismantle.
“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," she said. "So that we’re doing construction for the next phase of the project in the city there’s complete access and it’s more efficient.
The viaduct is being replaced by a slower moving Community Grid with tree-lined, grassy-centered- medians separating north and south traffic from pedestrian cross-walks and bike-lanes. Project managers say the I-81 project is on pace to finish by 2028. In the meantime, the State DOT Commissioner urges drivers to slow down in construction areas to keep workers safe.