On Monday, September 25, at 9 a.m. the ramp from Interstate 481 southbound to Interstate 81 southbound in the City of Syracuse will shut down for more than a year.
The New York State Department of Transportation says this closure is necessary to begin preparations for a newly constructed interchange that will convert I-481 into I-81 and create future Business Loop 81.
The ramp is already barricaded and blocked off to drivers making it difficult for Syracuse neighbor Chawana Patrick to get into the city. “It affects my ride going to work. It affects my ride getting my child to school,” Patrick said. “It affects my ride going grocery shopping.”
It’s also going to double the commute time for neighbors like Dorothy Blanks. “It will be half an hour or maybe even a little bit more,” Blanks said. “It all depends if the traffic is backed up because it gets backed up now.”
Both Chawana and Dorothy live in Syracuse’s southside, just a mile away from the construction site where National Grid utility worker Isaiah Bishop works every day. “We’ve been having tickets for about 6 to 7 months actually, Bishop said. “Everything from soil borings to drainage to excavations of any type.”
Isaiah is asking drivers to be patient as it sometimes gets dangerous for him on the side of the road. “Give it extra time when you’re going to work. Just bear with us and move over,” Bishop said. “If you see us or any construction vehicle on the side of the road just move over. We want to go home at the end of the day.”
However, Neighbors like Chawana and Dorothy say they would rather see the effort going into construction go into something different.
“They talk about somebody low poverty and kids not being educated. But you have nothing here for the kids to learn,” Patrick said.
“Don’t fix what’s not already broken. I don’t support it at all,” Blanks said.
There are signs posted on I-481 southbound and will direct detoured traffic to I-81 northbound at exit 17 (South Salina Street and Brighton Avenue). Detour signs will direct drivers to make a left onto East Calthrop Avenue and another left onto the entrance ramp of I-81 southbound.
The ramp is set to re-open in the Spring of 2025.
