Department of Transportation officials will hold an open house on Wednesday that goes over the details of the fifth and final contract of Phase 1 of the Interstate 81 viaduct project.
Officials said this is a critical part of the road construction, bringing it the closest it’s been to a crumbling viaduct that is the impetus for this $2.25 billion project.
The meeting will highlight the build-out of the southern business loop. That’s what is replacing the high-speed interstate that motorists currently use to drive through Syracuse.
Director Betsy Parmley said more than two years of construction across central New York have been in preparation for this construction.
"But I think what makes this unique is that all those other contracts were really just kind of preparing us to get downtown and to take down the viaduct. In contract five, we start to take down the viaduct," she said.
Some of the work that’s part of this contract: bringing the interstate to street grade. That will including traffic calming measures in the form of a roundabout, building a new exit leading motorists to the Syracuse University area.
And approximately seven spans of the viaduct will also be removed, including the Interstate 81 exit ramp to Almond Street.
Parmley said an informal open house on Wednesday, August 13, will feature project renderings, timetables, as well as features put in place to protect the large Southside community that abuts the interstate.
"We have health protections, like we have times of day where the noise has to be lower than a certain amount. We have air quality monitoring, so we make sure we're not creating unneeded dust from our construction. Our intent is to go in, get this job done, and get out, and limit the impacts," said Parmley.
This portion of construction is expected to continue through 2027, with the massive project completed in late 2028.
The open house will be held on August 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central.
