Construction is set to begin this fall on the I-81 replacement project in Syracuse, New York. New York Department Of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez made the announcement this week.
"Today, the New York State Department of Transportation and the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration have signed a formal record of decision for the I-81 Viaduct project," Dominguez said.
The $2.25 billion project will replace a 1.4 mile viaduct with a community grid, representing a generational opportunity for the city of Syracuse and the surrounding communities. Phase one of the project includes widening and interchange work on I-481 from the northern interchange with 81 to I-690.
As the project moves forward, community engagement and outreach efforts will continue.
"Just because we get to the record decision does not mean that we put our head in the sand and we just blindly go forward. DOT will be involved every step of the way to manage the project through the end of the design phases, into the construction phases, we'll still be working with the community. We'll still have outreach," said project director Mark Frechette.
The record of decision is the final decision on the plan to replace the viaduct with a community grid, marking the end of a nearly nine year process.
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Source: WAER
