A team of New York builders has been awarded the final contract for Phase 1 of Syracuse’s I-81 Viaduct overhaul, Governor Kathy Hochul’s office announced.

The New York State Department of Transportation awarded a $251 million contract to Salt City Constructors to advance the next segment of the $2.25 billion effort to reconnect neighborhoods divided by the original viaduct construction in the 1950s.

This contract calls for dismantling parts of the existing viaduct and beginning the transformation of I-81’s southern corridor into Business Loop 81, according to the release.

Planned improvements include lowering the highway between Colvin and Burt streets to street level, adding curved roadways, narrower lanes, landscaped medians, new traffic signals, sidewalks, crosswalks, and dedicated bike lanes. A new roundabout at Van Buren Street and Business Loop 81 will also aim to slow traffic heading into downtown Syracuse.

Salt City Constructors brings together three New York state contractors: L&T Construction of Richmondville, D.A. Collins Construction of Wilton, and Cold Spring Construction based in Akron.

“New York state is doing more to invest in infrastructure projects that are fundamentally transforming communities across the state,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, New York State DOT commissioner, in the announcement. “Today’s announcement is further proof that we are moving full speed ahead on this transformative project.”

The project also includes constructing a blue-painted steel railroad bridge to carry the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway over Business Loop 81 and building a new northbound off-ramp at Colvin Street to boost access to downtown Syracuse, Syracuse University, and its south campus.

“With the fifth and final contract now awarded for Phase 1 of the I-81’s transformation we have never been closer to realizing the dream of a reconnected Syracuse,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer in the release. “This contract will remove portions of the viaduct and signals that wheels are in motion to realize the city’s vision for a community grid to better connect Syracuse to a brighter future.”

Salt City Constructors previously won the first and third contracts under the I-81 redevelopment, a broader multi-phase project that kicked off in spring 2023. Phase 1 consists of five contracts, all of which are now underway following this latest award, per the release.

Construction is set to begin immediately and is expected to wrap up by mid-2027. Once the project is two-thirds finished, traffic will be closed south of Harrison Street.

The I-81 Viaduct effort stands as the largest project ever undertaken by the New York State DOT, funded through a combination of state and federal resources within a $33 billion capital program approved in 2022.

Originally reported by Sebastian Obando in Construction Dive.