The DeWitt Town Board released a statement on Tuesday arguing against the community grid replacement method for Syracuse’s Interstate 81 viaduct, instead favoring a reconstructed viaduct or a hybrid tunnel.

The statement, authored by five members of the board, said the majority of central New York residents are in favor of conserving I-81’s current route through Syracuse while fixing the 1.4 mile-long viaduct, whose functional life ended in 2017.

At least six public opinion polls regarding the viaduct replacement have been conducted since 2013, according to the statement. The polls assessed the method of replacement central New York residents deemed most effective.

The surveys found that about 18 percent of respondents support the community grid option, whereas 67 percent of those polled were in favor of preserving the I-81’s current route through Syracuse.

“It is apparent that there is a clear majority consensus in Central New York: Interstate 81 must not be diverted and must continue along its current path,” the board stated.

The community grid option would lower the elevated viaduct to street level and reroute traffic along Interstate 481, which would become a continuation of I-81. The leveled road would include 14 traffic signals, per the statement. This method of renovation is favored by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh.

 The board members cited additional surveys, some conducted by elected officials representing their constituents, as further support of their findings.

The Onondaga County Supervisors and Mayors’ associations also voiced their support of a hybrid tunnel or viaduct reconstruction in a December news release. A hybrid tunnel would combine the community grid option with an underground tunnel to address thru traffic, while the construction of a new viaduct would be 10 feet taller and 16 feet wider than the current structure, according to a joint news release from the associations and a scoping report from the New York State Department of Transportation.

The board expressed support for merging the community grid with either a reconstructed viaduct or a hybrid tunnel.

Per the statement, the chosen renovation option will be announced shortly.

Published on January 15, 2019 at 10:42 pm

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