The second and final phase of the I-81 viaduct project will begin immediately, setting the stage for demolition of a 1.4-mile stretch of the elevated viaduct that’s divided Syracuse communities for decades and construction of a street-level community grid, the state Department of Transportation announced Friday.
CNY Alliance will undertake the more than $2 billion project, which also includes reconstruction of I-690 from Leavenworth Avenue to North Crouse Avenue, rehabilitation of 25 city streets and construction of access points to downtown Syracuse.
Ramps linking I-81 and I-690 will be removed and replaced with new ramps, bridges and retaining walls that will be part of new interchanges between the future Business Loop 81 and I-690.
DOT calls it “the largest and one of the most complex construction contracts in its history.”
“This marks a pivotal moment for Syracuse and for Central New York. As we enter Phase Two of the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project, we are not just removing an aging highway, we are building new connections, strengthening neighborhoods, and creating a safer, more accessible transportation network for everyone who lives, works, and travels here,” Mayor Sharon Owens said in a DOT statement.
Completed last month after three years of work, the first phase of the project reconstructed the northern and southern interchanges of Interstate 481 and I-81.