I-81 Viaduct Project

Dover, Kohl, and Partners partnered with the City of Syracuse to hold community design studios this week. It was an opportunity for community residents to engage with the planners and tell them what they want to see in their neighborhood once the I-81 viaduct comes down.

The City of Syracuse wants to involve Syracuse residents in the design of their neighborhoods after the I-81 viaduct is torn down.

The I-81 viaduct project is heading into its next phase, but community advocates say there is still work to be done to make sure the project benefits city residents.

It’s official…all of the regulatory hurdles have now been cleared for construction to begin later this fall on the I-81 replacement project. State DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez made the announcement Tuesday.

The Federal Highway Administration is set to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement April 15.

The EIS approval triggers a final 30 day comment period, followed by the record of decision, or final authorization.

Syracuse-area health, safety, and parent advocates want the state DOT to ensure those living and attending school near the I-81 viaduct are properly protected from lead dust exposure when the bridge is torn down. They gathered in front of Martin Luther King school Wednesday, which lies in the shadow of the highway.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs bill will help local workers get good-paying jobs and reconnect communities divided by infrastructure.

The state Department of Transportation is out with its latest plan to replace the I-81 viaduct in Syracuse, and it reaffirms their commitment to a community grid. The draft environmental impact statement, or DEIS, includes some changes from the preliminary draft introduced a little over two years ago.

Elected officials and community members in Syracuse are pushing back hard against a so-called Skybridge proposal by some suburban leaders who claim the viaduct replacement would complement the community grid.