Options Narrowed for Interstate 81 Replacement Through Syracuse

The elevated portion of Interstate 81 running through Syracuse, New York may stay up, may go down, but it will not go below. Charley Hannagan of Syracuse.com/The Post Standard reports that the New York Department of Transportation has narrowed down the options for the elevated highway down to two: one would see the elevated highway modernized and widened and the other would see the highway removed with traffic funneled onto the existing street grid. Hannagan reports that at a cost of $3.1 billion to build, the tunnel option was deemed too expensive and would take too long to construct.

The process for replacing the aging highway, deemed a "classic planning blunder" by Governor Andrew Cuomo, started two years ago with four options, including leaving the existing structure in place. Over the next few weeks the state DOT will begin holding community outreach meetings to get public feedback on the two options.