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The Federal Highway Administration has issued a final record of decision approving the Community Grid Alternative of the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer announced in a press release Tuesday. The approval allows construction to begin in the fall, according to the release.

A new community grid of surface-level streets will replace the viaduct along with “Business Loop 81.” A portion of the existing Interstate 481 will be redesignated as I-81, according to the release. Construction of the northern and southern sections of Business Loop 81, along with the work necessary to redesignate I-481, will be included in Phase 1, the release said.

The $2.25 billion project aims to address harm caused by the viaduct’s initial construction in the 1960s and reconnect neighborhoods it severed, the release said. The project, according to the release, is a part of the $32.8 billion State Capital Plan included in Hochul’s FY 2023 Budget.

“This is a new day for the City of Syracuse, one that’s been decades in the making and one that will change the trajectory of Central New York for generations,” Hochul wrote in the release.

The project presents an opportunity to correct injustice caused by the initial construction of the viaduct and to revitalize central New York communities, Hochul added.

Other than provisional funding from the state budget, a mix of federal and state resources will fund the project, according to the release.

The record of decision comes at the end of a planned 30-day waiting period triggered by release of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement on April 17. According to the release, the New York State Department of Transportation received 8,000 public comments between the Draft EIS and the Final EIS, and 1,000 additional comments during the 30-day waiting period.

In line with public comments, a roundabout which was initially planned for construction near Martin Luther King Junior East will now be located at the intersection of Van Buren and Almond Streets, the release wrote.

Though the announcement did not detail plans for Phase 2 of the project, the FEIS states that the phase will involve the reconstruction of I-690 and demolition of the viaduct, as well as the reconstruction of Almond Street and other local streets.

The release details additional features to the project, including plans to update Almond Street with two travel lanes in each direction and increased accessibility for bicycles and pedestrians. Other features include an interchange on I-690 at Crouse and Irving Avenues, and updates to various off ramps and exits.

The project will also include updated stormwater management, with 18,000 linear feet of storm sewer trunk lines slated for construction, according to the release. Current infrastructure enables discharge of untreated water into Onondaga Lake, the release wrote.

In addition to inclusion and equity impacts of the Community Grid, the state projects that the grid will relieve congestion in the city and facilitate increased accessibility to destinations including downtown business districts, hospitals and Syracuse University.

“We will build a better future here in Syracuse that shows what enlightened and equitable transportation infrastructure can look like,” Schumer said in the release.

Published on May 31, 2022 at 5:31 pm

Contact Jana: jlseal@syr.edu | @JanaLoSeal