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The New York State Department of Transportation has opened one of the roundabouts proposed in the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project, according to a Friday statement posted to Facebook. It is the first non-residential roundabout in the city of Syracuse.

The circle sits on the intersection of East Brighton Avenue and the Interstate 481 southbound off-ramp, which will be added to I-81 as part of the broader project, according to the DOT statement. It will serve as a connection between the new stretch of I-81 and the proposed Business Loop 81, according to a Sept. 4 project update from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.

“The roundabout, along East Brighton Avenue, will improve traffic flow, and enhance safety, for drivers,” the I-81 project’s website reads. “They are safer, more sustainable and more efficient than traditional intersections.”

The roundabout’s opening marks another step toward the completion of the I-81 viaduct removal and community grid project – an over $2 billion initiative aiming to increase infrastructural connectivity throughout the city and rectify the highway’s historical impact on the community.

The viaduct was built through Syracuse’s historically Black 15th Ward neighborhood in 1960 and displaced approximately 1,300 families during its original construction. The recent infrastructure projects are also part of efforts to bridge the racial divide the overpass created in the city.

The DOT divided its plan into eight stages of construction, expected to be completed by 2028, syracuse.com reported in late July. The East Brighton roundabout is part of the $384.5 million second contract, which addresses the southern interchange between I-81 and I-481. Work on the second contract began in the summer of 2023 and is set to be completed by early 2026, according to syracuse.com.

A second roundabout on Van Buren Street is part of the plan’s fifth contract. The DOT initially planned to construct the second traffic circle near Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, which sparked controversy among parents and residents of nearby neighborhoods. The department then moved the proposed site to Van Buren Street, blocks away from Syracuse University property.

The Van Buren Street roundabout, the I-81 project’s fifth contract, is scheduled to be completed by late 2025.

The East Brighton roundabout will operate with a temporary layout until the DOT completes its work on the East Glen Avenue connection, according to the DOT’s website. The department is set to finalize its layout by the end of 2025.

Published on September 15, 2024 at 9:25 pm

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu