The fifth contract for the I-81 Viaduct project in Syracuse will be carried out by Salt City Constructors, a joint venture of Cold Spring Construction, D.A. Collins Construction, and Lancaster Development & Tully Construction.
The project does not involve building a new viaduct, but rather demolishing an existing crossing. It will replace a 2.3km stretch of elevated highway built in the 1950s and criticised for dividing downtown Syracuse, with a street-level grid designed to improve downtown access for drivers and enhance mobility for pedestrians and cyclists.
Construction on the I-81 Viaduct project began in spring 2023 and is divided into eight separate contracts. Earlier phases focused on upgrading I-481 to handle increased traffic during and after the viaduct’s removal. Contract five marks a turning point, initiating the first major demolition of the existing elevated highway and beginning construction of the new street-level grid.
This phase includes the removal of seven viaduct spans while maintaining traffic on the remaining structure. It also features the construction of a new steel railroad bridge to carry tracks over Business Loop 81 and serve as a new gateway into the city.
Funded through a combination of federal and state resources, work on this phase is set to begin imminently and is expected to be completed in 2027.
