Several streets near Syracuse University would be reconstructed under the proposed community grid plan to replace the Interstate 81 viaduct, creating five new access points to University Hill.

The New York State Department of Transportation announced on Monday that its preferred replacement option is the community grid, which would involve demolishing the existing 1.4-mile viaduct on I-81 and redirecting traffic through city streets. The decision was detailed in the long-awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement — more than 1,000 pages detailing the state’s study of the environmental consequences of 19 replacement options.

SU, SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY-ESF all sit along the existing viaduct, meaning they would be affected by the changes to I-81. SU Chancellor Kent Syverud endorsed the community grid in a campus-wide email on April 19. The presidents of Upstate and SUNY-ESF soon followed with endorsements on Monday, hours before the impact statement was released.

“It is my view that the Community Grid option most strongly aligns with the attributes and outcomes that Syracuse University previously endorsed as central to any I-81 replacement option,” Syverud said.

Traffic that normally would be carried by the I-81 viaduct would be redirected along Interstate 481, which loops around the east of Syracuse near DeWitt. I-481 would be redesignated as the new I-81 and become the “quickest” route for north-south travel in the area, according to the report. Improvements to I-481 and Interstate 690 will be needed to handle the increased traffic.

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Under the recommended plan, the main entrance for traffic toward University Hill would switch from East Adams Street to Van Buren Street. The Brewster/Boland/Brockway complex is located on Van Buren Street.

Syverud said the benefits of the community grid include “robust” connection between University Hill and downtown, better public transportation and public space options, environmental and financial sustainability and “minimal disruption” to housing, business and jobs during and after construction.

The transportation department’s recommendation is not final. There will be a 45-day public comment period during which public meetings will be held, followed by a final impact statement and another waiting period. NYSDOT is not expected to release the final statement until 2020, Mayor Ben Walsh said. After the statement is released, the state and federal government will make a final decision on the viaduct’s future.

The community grid also involves creating exits along I-690 for Almond Street, Crouse Avenue and Irving Avenue to create a “direct connection” to University Hill, the report stated. Irving Avenue would need to be extended four blocks north to I-690 to build the interchange. Currently, the nearest exit along I-690 for University Hill is Townsend Street, which is closer to downtown Syracuse.

Building the community grid would take five years and cost about $1.9 billion. The federal government would fund 80% of the cost, with the rest coming from New York state. In place of the current 1.4-mile viaduct, Almond Street would be expanded into a boulevard with bicycle lanes, curbside parking, larger walking paths and a widened median.

A visual simulation created by NYSDOT shows what Almond Street might look like under the community grid plan. Courtesy of the New York State Department of Transportation.

A large stretch of the existing I-81 route between the north and south I-481 interchanges would be redesignated as “Business Loop 81.” A business loop is a route that leads into a downtown business district and returns to the freeway at the other end, per the report.

Narrow shoulders, curbs and landscaping along the business loop between Colvin Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. East would act as “traffic calming measures” to encourage drivers to reduce speeds from 55 mph to 30 mph, according to the report. The proposed business loop would merge into the existing I-81 route north of the Syracuse Hancock International Airport.

Streets south of SU, including Van Buren, Taylor, Burt and MLK, Jr. East, would also have more direct access to University Hill. MLK, Jr. East now passes under the I-81 viaduct and becomes Renwick Avenue as it nears SU. The grid plan would bring the new business loop level with MLK, Jr. East and a create a new intersection.

If the viaduct is removed, a new intersection would be built at Martin Luther King, Jr. East to improve access to the Southside and University Hill. Anna Henderson | Digital Design Editor

This would increase access to the Southside and University Hill from the south as well as alleviate congestion on Adams, Harrison and Almond streets, according to the report.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Walsh and County Executive Ryan McMahon said they have put aside their differences to work together after being briefed by NYSDOT officials. McMahon said he still believes the hybrid grid-tunnel is the best option, but he added that the grid has the potential to boost the region’s economy.

Many mayors and town supervisors throughout Onondaga County have expressed concerns about traffic congestion if I-81 traffic is redirected onto I-481. The Onondaga County supervisors and mayors’ associations have advocated for I-81 to maintain its current route. NYSDOT also studied the possibility of rebuilding the viaduct or creating a tunnel under the city, but ultimately rejected both due to higher costs and “adverse impacts” to properties.

“Our team feels we have some potential solutions that if the state works with us and funds it,” McMahon said. “Much of the concerns can be addressed and this project can be a net positive for the community.”

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Both Walsh and McMahon encouraged Syracuse and Onondaga County residents to stay involved in the process. Walsh said people who “live in the shadow” of I-81 and will be directly impacted by the construction should make their voices heard.

New York state Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (D-Syracuse) and Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) issued statements Monday that praised the released grid plan. David Knapp, chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature, said in a statement that NYSDOT’s choice of the grid was “disappointing.”

“Our unequivocal position is that the current route through Syracuse and Central New York be maintained in order to avoid significant adverse effects on our constituents and our businesses,” said Knapp, referring to the Legislature’s Republican Caucus’ opinion.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ensured that the tunnel option was included in the impact statement but has not announced his position on I-81’s future. Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus), who serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, has yet to announce his position. Katko previously said he would endorse the option favored by his constituents.

“Hopefully we can come together as a community to drive forward a project that transforms the region,” McMahon said.

— Asst. News Editor India Miraglia contributed reporting to this story.

Published on April 24, 2019 at 12:11 am

Contact Casey: [email protected] | @caseydarnell_