Debate about Syracuse’s outdated infrastructure came up again this past month regarding Interstate 81, which runs through the city of Syracuse.

The strip of highway is due for renovation, which signals that both the New York Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration must make a decision about what to do. With the lifespan of I-81 reaching its end, lawmakers and citizens alike are struggling to find a unanimous solution to what should go in the old highway’s place.

“The structure itself, right now, needs to come down,” said Syracuse Common Councilor Kathleen Joy. “The question is, what is going to replace it?”

The Common Council unanimously approved a resolution last week urging state officials to tear down the elevated section of Interstate 81 and replace it with a street-level boulevard through downtown Syracuse. The street-level boulevard would connect the current street grid and provide easier transportation for pedestrians, buses, bikers and other vehicles, said Common Council President Van Robinson.

“It would bring the city together again,” Robinson said.

Others are calling for just a rebuilding of the old structure in order to preserve what is currently in place, said Mark Nicotra, the Salina town supervisor.

“It serves a function, and if you take that away, you are going adversely impact the area,” he said.

Nicotra said that turning the elevated structure into a street would change the landscape of the area, affecting local businesses as trucks and other highway traffic clog up the downtown streets.

He added that it is still unclear what the effect on traffic would be if the highway were converted to a through street, and the possible effects on downtown are also unclear.

Creating a through street would divert highway traffic to Interstate 481, a city bypass, which could lessen pollution directly in the city, Robinson said.

“It would not only be aesthetically better, it would also be environmentally better for the people that live in Syracuse,” Robinson said.

If I-81 is going to be replaced, new federal highway standards would force certain changes, such as a wider pathway and clearer exit and entrance ramps. This could cause buildings to be torn down, said Joy, the common councilor. She added that it would take out a “swath” of houses, businesses and historic buildings.

The Common Council spent the past year asking citizens about their thoughts for the new structure. The council then compiled the requests and developed a plan of action.

“The conclusion was: take it down and replace it with a through street,” Joy said. “We don’t want to see a tunnel, we don’t want to see it built back up in a different configuration.”

The demolition of the current highway will cost the government millions, in addition to whichever structure is put in its place, Joy said. The state is currently looking at the various options, and hopes to begin work in the spring, though there is not a definite timeline.

“This is what the city residents want,” she said.

Published on February 4, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Hanna: hrhorvat@syr.edu