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Interstate 81 in Syracuse

Started by The Ghostbuster, May 25, 2016, 03:37:19 PM

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kalvado

Quote from: silverback1065 on December 19, 2024, 09:30:46 AM
Quote from: kalvado on December 19, 2024, 09:20:05 AM
Quote from: silverback1065 on December 19, 2024, 08:23:47 AMI argue it never should have been built in the first place.
There was a reference somewhere way up in the thread that an alternative routing was through Utica. Utica is now a much smaller town, despite huge state efforts. It's an interesting question what would Syracuse be without I-81 today. I suspect much less of a city than it is.

Let me clarify my opinion, what I mean is, 81 should never have gone through the city proper. It should have bypassed it on an alignment similar to 481 instead. Syracuse, as most of upstate NY cities doesn't seem large enough to warrant downtown freeways. Just seems like overkill imo.

And there is another problem not uncommon for NY - while mountains in the area are nothing like Rockies, they are still sufficient to force roads and towns into smaller valleys, often by lakes and rivers. And a town in a valley by the river can easily block all passable options through the valley. I am thinking Troy NY as another example of such firewall.   


Rothman

Terrain south of Utica is trickier than the terrain south of Syracuse, though.

Wonder if there are any Black River Valley people bemoaning the lack of an Interstate.  I wouldn't think so.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

kalvado

Quote from: Rothman on December 19, 2024, 11:29:20 AMTerrain south of Utica is trickier than the terrain south of Syracuse, though.

Wonder if there are any Black River Valley people bemoaning the lack of an Interstate.  I wouldn't think so.
I suspect it would be NY12 or NY8 corridor for Utica.
Anyway, this map tells the story of road corridors in the area for me:
https://en-gb.topographic-map.com/map-6sm14/New-York/?center=42.58544%2C-76.45935&zoom=8

webny99

#1703
And I would have been fine with no freeway being built through downtown Syracuse... IF the southwest bypass along the NY 173 corridor had been built as proposed. That has always been, and remains, by far the largest issue with the lack of a N/S freeway connection through downtown.

I see it kind of like kidneys: You can survive without one or the other, but you cannot survive without both. Perhaps that's a weird analogy, but I think if you consider it, you'll find it is very apropos.

Rothman

Pfft.  Was there ever a link to that proposal?

Driving a freeway down Onondaga Hill and through the Valley is a very silly idea.  Terrain and community concerns make it ridiculous.

Area will be fine without the viaduct and would have been fine without it.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

roadman65

Just because some of oppose the viaducts removal doesn't mean life will end without it. Just that if you're looking to recapture the past by making the area look like it did 70 years ago, you won't. Times and culture evolved since then.

Whether the state made a mistake in the fifties is irrelevant now. The damage was done already. Even if I-81 was built in a different place then, who's to say the area around the viaduct wouldn't have changed anyway.

Going back in time doesn't always bring back what once was. I used to live in Central Jersey at one time before living in Central Florida. I regard my tenure in NJ as being so nice, however if I chose to go back and live where I once lived, I guarantee it won't be like it was originally.  All the people and experiences I once lived are all gone now and those places I once loved have moved on.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

kalvado

Quote from: Rothman on December 19, 2024, 01:53:01 PMPfft.  Was there ever a link to that proposal?

Driving a freeway down Onondaga Hill and through the Valley is a very silly idea.  Terrain and community concerns make it ridiculous.

Area will be fine without the viaduct and would have been fine without it.
And it is fine with the viaduct, one would think. Or not so fine because Syracuse is a Syracuse, not because of a highway.

Rothman

Quote from: kalvado on December 19, 2024, 03:47:16 PM
Quote from: Rothman on December 19, 2024, 01:53:01 PMPfft.  Was there ever a link to that proposal?

Driving a freeway down Onondaga Hill and through the Valley is a very silly idea.  Terrain and community concerns make it ridiculous.

Area will be fine without the viaduct and would have been fine without it.
And it is fine with the viaduct, one would think. Or not so fine because Syracuse is a Syracuse, not because of a highway.

Wut. :D
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

roadman65

#1708
https://www.localsyr.com/news/future-of-81/interstate-81-mile-markers-changed-in-jefferson-county/

Mileposts in Jefferson County have been altered now to include I-81's mileage change for when I-481 becomes the interstate.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

The Ghostbuster

Is there a date set for when Interstate 481 becomes a relocation of Interstate 81 (ditto for existing 81 becoming Business 81)? I imagine it might happen sometime in 2025, although I could be wrong.

Rothman

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 30, 2024, 11:37:25 AMIs there a date set for when Interstate 481 becomes a relocation of Interstate 81 (ditto for existing 81 becoming Business 81)? I imagine it might happen sometime in 2025, although I could be wrong.

I'd be surprised if the flip-over takes place in 2025.

(personal opinion emphasized)
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

roadman65

From what I would think is they'd wait until the two interchanges between I-81 and I-481 are completed before they change over.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

vdeane

Quote from: Rothman on December 30, 2024, 01:41:42 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on December 30, 2024, 11:37:25 AMIs there a date set for when Interstate 481 becomes a relocation of Interstate 81 (ditto for existing 81 becoming Business 81)? I imagine it might happen sometime in 2025, although I could be wrong.

I'd be surprised if the flip-over takes place in 2025.

(personal opinion emphasized)
I would have thought it would happen once the I-481 work is concluded, which was originally scheduled for next year (just in case anyone didn't check the date, I'm posting this on 12/31/24 around 9:47 PM EST).  Has there been a delay?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

roadman65

I'm curious to see if the NYSTA replaces Binghamton with Syracuse at Exit 36 when BL I-81 becomes a route.

I never understood why that particular interchange never signed Syracuse in the first place.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

machias

Quote from: roadman65 on December 31, 2024, 10:08:40 PMI'm curious to see if the NYSTA replaces Binghamton with Syracuse at Exit 36 when BL I-81 becomes a route.

I never understood why that particular interchange never signed Syracuse in the first place.

Syracuse and Syracuse Airport is on the secondary destination sign.

The Binghamton/Watertown designation isn't original to the interchange. The interchange was originally labeled ROUTE 11 Syracuse when the Thruway opened, and then 81 Syracuse, with a supplemental Binghamton sign below it. I believe the Watertown designation was added when the metric sign was installed in the mid 1970s.

roadman65

Well when I-81 transfers to I-481 it will be interesting to see if the control cities change.

I would imagine Binghamton would be signed on Exit 34A instead of Exit 36. Plus Oswego removed from 34A in favor of Watertown and the current EB 34A city that's not even on I-481.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

vdeane

Syracuse.com just posted a news article about the project with a lovely in-depth look at all the construction that will be going on this year and some about the future. It noted that the I-481 work will wrap up in November and that the I-81/BL 81 switch is happening this year.

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2025/02/new-roundabouts-new-exits-new-bridges-what-to-expect-on-the-i-81-project-in-2025.html

Since it's paywalled, here's the text:
Quote from: Syracuse.comThe project to rebuild Interstate 81 in Syracuse will bring new roundabouts, new highway exits, fast-speed highway transitions, new bridges, sidewalks and many, many new trees in 2025.

Every major state highway in Syracuse is under construction as the project moves toward the middle of the six-year, $2.25 billion makeover.

The goal is to tear down the elevated I-81 through Syracuse, starting in 2026 and ending in 2028. But first, the DOT is building up other highways and Syracuse streets to handle more traffic.

Here's what to expect this year, according to Betsy Parmley, the engineer in charge of the project for the state DOT.

Workers plan to finish work on major jobs in the suburbs this year, including the Cicero interchange, the interchange near Jamesville and the DeWitt exit near Wegmans. Also this year, expect to see the names of some of the major highways change. See timelines and maps for the whole project.

Northern Interchange

All work at the northern interchange – where I-81 meets I-481 – is expected to be done by the end of 2025.

This intersection, in Cicero, is where the current I-81 will be changed to "Business Loop 81" as it heads into Syracuse. The current Interstate 481 will be renamed I-81.

The major work at this intersection, which started in 2023, is intended to create a high-speed transition between highways. Those connections are expected to be complete this summer.

The state is also currently working on a culvert at Mud Creek. They will also continue to widen the bridge where I-481 goes over the Thruway.

Rehabilitation of the bridges over Thompson and Totman roads is expected to be finished in the spring.

Reconstruction of South Bay Road is expected to begin soon and be completed in November. Northbound traffic will continue during construction. Southbound traffic will have to follow a detour.

New noise barriers are finished near Syracuse Hancock International Airport and Bear Trap Creek in Salina. More will be built to replace the old wooden noise barriers near the interchange.

Southern Interchange

The work underway at the southern interchange – where I-81 meets I-481 near Loretto – is also expected to be finished by the end of 2025. This work is also intended to improve high-speed connections between I-81 and the current I-481, the ring road around the eastern suburbs.

There is still a lot of work to do. One of the two roundabouts on Brighton Avenue is partially constructed and in use. The next step is to reconstruct East Glen Avenue and add the new road as another option to exit the roundabout.

The project will also add an interchange for vehicles to enter and exit I-81 at the new East Glen Avenue.

A second roundabout at Rock Cut Road is under construction and expected to open at the end of June. Learn how roundabouts work in this video

The DOT is also building a triple decker of highways. At ground level will be Business Loop 81. The second level will be southbound Business Loop 81 to I-481 north. The third level will be Business Loop 81 southbound to I-81.

High-speed transitions between I-81 and I-481 will be complete by the end of the year. The ramp from I-81 northbound to I-481 northbound is already open.

The southbound connection from I-481 to I-81 is expected to open mid-November.

DeWitt Exit 3

Construction is expected to start this spring at I-481's busy Exit 3 in DeWitt and end in November.

Those are the exits and entrances at Routes 5 and 92, heading west toward Syracuse or east toward Fayetteville and Manlius. The interchange, near the DeWitt Wegmans, is used by 60,000 drivers each day. This video shows how the new interchange will work:

Now, drivers headed from Syracuse to the eastern suburbs can use one of two exits – one goes east, one goes west. In the future, drivers headed both east and west will use the same exit and end at a new traffic signal.

Three lanes of traffic will turn left toward Fayetteville and Manlius. One lane of traffic will turn right, toward DeWitt.

The new exit will be built in three stages that essentially moves traffic to one side or the other during construction. They call that "building offline," or off the shoulder, to allow traffic to continue during construction.

Construction is also expected to start soon on the ramp that takes drivers essentially from Wegmans to I-481 north. That ramp will be lengthened all the way to Kinne Road for drivers to merge into high-speed traffic.

Construction will also begin this spring at Lyndon Corners, one of the busiest intersections in the Eastern suburbs. That work will be done at night, between about 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The work will add a lane for drivers headed east to Manlius. That lane will end just before the crosswalk at the golf course.

The goal is to have Lyndon Corners complete in November.

Inner Harbor

Work is underway near the Inner Harbor and Destiny USA.

On the North Side of Syracuse, engineers have already demolished the bridges over I-81 at Spencer and Bear streets. Expect those bridges to be rebuilt and open in November 2025.

Once those bridges are operational, the state will tear down the Court Street bridge. That will allow access for North siders to cross from neighborhoods into the Inner Harbor and downtown. Construction on the Court Street bridge will go into 2026.

In late summer, expect to see a new I-81 entrance at Bear Street.

The state has already started some work to rebuild North Clinton Street to handle more local traffic. Drivers will be able to use North Clinton instead of the highway to get from downtown to Destiny USA or the Inner Harbor.

That work will mostly be finished this year – from Bear to Spencer streets. Work from Spencer Street to downtown will be completed in 2026.

Other work zones drivers will have to navigate in that neighborhood are for storm drainage and retaining walls, where I-81 is at lower elevation than the surface streets.

Contractors are also expected to plant 800 trees. That work could go into 2026, depending on the weather. See more on the Inner Harbor work

South Crouse and Irving exit

Drivers on I-690 are already navigating construction on the commute from downtown Syracuse to the eastern suburbs. Work on the right eastbound lane is expected to end this summer. Then, traffic will shift into the newly built lanes and construction will begin on the left lane.

Workers there are building a new interchange from I-690 to Crouse and Irving Avenues.

The idea is to build a direct route to Syracuse University and the hospitals before the state tears down the elevated highway. This video shows how that new exit will work.

By the end of the year, the state expects to open a new ramp from Crouse to eastbound I-690. When it is complete, they will close the McBride Street ramp.

In the future, they will build a ramp at Irving Avenue and close the existing Townsend street ramp.

In 2025, work will also stretch into city streets south of I-690. Parts of Irving Avenue, Walnut Avenue, Lodi Street and Erie Boulevard will be reconstructed with new drainage and utilities.

Irving Avenue will be extended to the new highway ramp through a city block that is now vacant land. Some street work will extend into 2026.

The DOT plans to coordinate the work so drivers will be able to maintain a connection east and west through the busy Erie Boulevard neighborhood.

The work is expected to be mostly complete and open for drivers by the end of the year. Paving the top coat will likely happen in spring 2026.

This is the area where archeologists excavated the contents of 11 historic privies. Read more about the archaeology dig.

Van Buren Street roundabout

Work is expected to begin in 2025 near Martin Luther King School, on the South Side. It will take several years to finish this section – Contract 5.

Construction will go from Colvin Street to Van Buren Street, ending in a new roundabout as drivers enter downtown.

The state comptroller's office in 2024 ordered the DOT to restart the bidding process after it determined the two top bidders did not meet the deadline to line up enough minority-owned subcontractors. Read more about that here.

If the next round of bidding is successful, construction could start in early summer.

The first big project on this stretch is to build a new exit at Colvin Street. There is already an entrance to I-81 at Colvin Street. This will give drivers heading north into the city another place to exit before downtown. It will be a faster route, for example, to remote Dome parking lots. Read more about Dome parking here.

North of Colvin Street, the state plans to introduce traffic calming measures like curves, trees, and narrower shoulders to make drivers feel like the need to slow down as they enter downtown.

The hallmark feature of this contract is a new roundabout at Van Buren street for traffic that will be at street level once the highway is removed.

State officials have promised to invite neighborhood stakeholders to discuss the best way to use the vacant land around MLK Boulevard that will be freed up by the new highway design. That group has not yet been formed.

The state also expects to ask for community input on designs for noise barriers and retaining walls.

Rebuilding I-690 at West Street

In 2025, engineers will start talking about how best to build the section of I-690 that stretches west from the new Crouse and Irving ramps, past West Street to Leavenworth Avenue.

This contract starts what the DOT has been calling "Phase 2" of the I-81 project – the second half of the overall project.

This contract – Contract 6 – is a "design build" contract. That means the contractors who win the bid will not only build the highway, but will have a say in how it looks.

The state expects to issue a request for proposals in late 2025.

Name changes

Drivers can expect the state to officially change the names of the highways this year.

I-481 will be called I-81. And the current I-81 through downtown Syracuse will be called Business Loop 81.

Changing names requires federal approval. The DOT is already putting in the foundations for new signs. When they are up, they will put temporary overlays to indicate the current names of the roads. When the names change, they will peel off the overlays.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

vdeane

Another I-81 contract just appeared on DOT's letting site, this time for the BL 81 south project.  Signs are on plan set 3 starting on page 85.

https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D265478
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Rothman

Quote from: vdeane on February 13, 2025, 09:53:42 PMAnother I-81 contract just appeared on DOT's letting site, this time for the BL 81 south project.  Signs are on plan set 3 starting on page 85.

https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D265478

That's a re-let for Contract 5.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.



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