I-81 project includes full rebuild of 1.5 miles of I-690 in Syracuse

I-690

A red truck passes over a section of Interstate 690 in Syracuse, N.Y. Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. – The state’s plans for the Interstate 81 project includes tearing down about 1.5 miles of Interstate 690 and rebuilding that elevated highway.

“All of Interstate 690 will be rebuilt,” Mark Frechette, the I-81 project director, said about a stretch from just west of West Street to Lodi Street. “All of that bridge work will be redone.”

The rebuilt I-690 would follow the same pathway, which basically hovers over a former railway bed. The new version of I-690 would be wider, with bigger shoulders that much of the highway lacks in that section now.

Map: The work on I-690 would happen between the two red markers on the map below. Click on the markers to find out more.

Improving I-690 has long been a part of the mega highway project, which the state estimates will cost $2 billion. Yet much of the focus has been on what will happen with the elevated part of I-81 that runs between downtown and University Hill.

But I-690 is also a huge part of addressing the problematic highways. I-81 opened to traffic beginning in 1959. I-690 was built a decade later, and its bridges are also aging. It’s why state officials have gone ahead and already replaced two of them – one over Beech Street and another over Teall Avenue.

“The whole project is because of the age of the entire system,” said Robert Haley, a local architect who’s been analyzing the I-81 project for years.

Right now, a series of four elevated bridges cross each other at the heart of the project – where I-81 and I-690 meet. The criss-crossing covers about three city blocks – from State Street to Almond Street. That’s also an area where, on average, a crash happens each day.

According to the state’s current plans, all that concrete for I-81 and I-690 would come down – the bridges and the pilings, Frechette said.

The westbound and eastbound sides of I-690 – about 1.5 miles of highway – would eventually go back up.

These plans are part of the state’s preferred solution for the highways, called the community grid option. That calls for tearing down a part of I-81 permanently and rerouting highway traffic around the city.

When it comes to I-690, here’s a summary of what the state is proposing:

  • Exit 13 at Townsend Street would be gone.
  • Exits 11 and 12 (West and West Genesee streets) would operate more like a traditional exchange, and less like an arterial, with ramps leading down to the surface streets.
  • New on- and off-ramps would be added to connect with Crouse and Irving avenues. These new access points would become main pathways up to the University Hill.
West Street at I-690

This shows what the West Street would look like according to state plans to rebuild a part of I-690. Source: NYS DOTNYS DOT

The Crouse/Irving exit would be constructed during the first phase of the project. Much of the other work in I-690 would be during the second phase. There’s no start date yet for the project; officials estimate the entire project would take five years to complete.

The state is seeking feedback on its proposal and is holding an informational session on the project from 3 to 8 p.m. on June 18 at the Oncenter. The session will feature new renderings of the project. DOT officials will be on hand to answer questions about the project.

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