The New York State Department of Transportation is working on bids for the third contract on the $2.25 billion project to rebuild Interstate 81 in Syracuse.
The state plans to close some on- and off-ramps and build a new entry point for drivers from the north and south to get to Destiny USA, the Inner Harbor and the North Side. The state also plans to improve North Clinton Street for use as a more frequent route from downtown to the Inner Harbor and Destiny USA neighborhood.
Contractors will draw up more specific designs, but generally, the maps below show what the state DOT plans to do:
The red square below outlines the new entry point. Northbound on- and off-ramps are planned for Bear Street as part of the seventh contract, starting in 2026 and ending in late 2028. Southbound drivers will enter and exit the highway at North Clinton Street. That work is scheduled as part of the third contract, expected to start next year.
The state plans to close the ramps outlined below in red between Destiny USA and the mall. That includes the southbound on- and off-ramps at Genant Street; the northbound on- and off-ramps at Sunset Avenue and the State Street ramp to northbound 81.
The southbound ramps are part of the third contract. The northbound ramps are part of the seventh contract.
Between the mall and downtown, the state plans to replace four bridges over the highway. They are circled in red below. New bridges at Bear, Court, Spencer and Butternut streets are designed with sidewalks, giving people on the North Side safer access to the Inner Harbor. The bridges at Bear, Court and Spencer streets are part of the third contract. The Butternut Street bridge work is in the seventh contract.
The stretch of North Clinton Street in the red box below will be lined with shared-use bike and pedestrian paths to be built off the street and buffered by trees. There will also be new street parking. The hope is that drivers will use this route instead of the highway to get from downtown to the Inner Harbor or Destiny USA. That is how the concept of a “community grid” works.
More about the Interstate 81 project
- Scary moments high above Syracuse: A stray piece of metal, flat tires and riding on the rims
- New I-81 stretch could make Syracuse’s Inner Harbor more inviting for drivers, visitors
- I-481 exit from I-81 north of Syracuse to close for two hours this week
- Construction to close lane on I-81 north in Syracuse for one year
- Plaintiff sees flaws in NY’s arguments for continuing I-81 project (Guest Opinion by Nathan Gunn)
Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com | 315-470-3186.