Highways
NY Awards $313M Contract for Part of I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse
The contract covers work associated with the state's "community grid" plan to restore neighborhoods divided by the viaduct.
Rendering courtesy of New York State Dept. of Transportation
New York officials awarded a $313.5-million contract to CNY Alliance for construction of part of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced July 19. The contract is the fourth of eight expected to be awarded as part of the $2.3-billion project.
The New York State Dept. of Transportation plans to demolish the viaduct carrying Interstate 81 into downtown Syracuse, reroute the highway onto the existing route of Interstate 481 looping around the city and build what officials have named a “community grid,” with at-grade local streets in place of the viaduct.
The scope of the newly awarded contract covers construction of a new interchange at westbound I-690 and Crouse Avenue and widening the local street with an additional northbound lane in downtown Syracuse. It also covers another interchange at eastbound I-690 and Irving Avenue, reconstruction of Irving Avenue, running parallel to Crouse, with another southbound lane to accommodate more traffic, and extending it beyond where it currently ends. Additionally, the contract’s scope includes stormwater and wastewater infrastructure improvements, as well as a pair of bridge replacements and other improvements to local streets and sidewalks.
“This project, which was driven by the community, is a reminder of the great things that a reimagined transportation infrastructure can do—improve the quality of life, improve public safety and facilitate local economic development,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, state transportation commissioner, in a statement.
The selected bidder, CNY Alliance, is a joint venture of A. Servidone Inc. and B. Anthony Construction Corp. plus Rifenburg Construction Corp. and Crane-Hogan Structural Systems Inc. It previously won the project’s $384.5-million second contract, covering reconstruction of the southern interchange of I-81 and I-481 plus other work along parts of the current I-481 loop.
The state DOT anticipates work associated with this contract will complete in 2027.
Work is already in progress on the first two contracts. In May, officials selected Salt City Constructors LLC for the $218.9-million third contract for work along a portion of the current I-81 near North Clinton and Bear streets in downtown Syracuse. That contractor is a partnership of Lancaster Development, Tully Construction Co. LLC, D.A. Collins Construction Co. Inc. and Cold Spring Construction Co. Inc. The same team also won the project’s first $294.4-million contract last year.
Construction of the I-81 viaduct in the 1950s and 1960s removed homes and divided neighborhoods with many Black residents. State officials have promoted the project as a way to reunite those neighborhoods and address past injustice. The plan has faced opposition—a group called Renew 81 For All sued the state seeking to change the plan from the community grid design. Work beyond the first three contracts was temporarily blocked by the court until earlier this year, when an appeals court judge ruled in favor of the state, allowing the full project to advance.
“Although it has taken over 60 years to get to this point, we are righting the wrongs of the past, reconnecting neighborhoods and providing new opportunities for inclusion and equity in Central New York,” Hochul said in a statement after the recent contract award.
