Town Board passes resolution stating concerns
By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
Residents in DeWitt will have the opportunity to learn more about the Interstate-81 Viaduct project that is in the works, and how some of the project options may affect the area in which they live.
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, a public meeting on the I-81 viaduct project will be hosted by the New York State Department of Transportation to allow residents to become more informed of the project and give feedback.
Starting in 2013, the restructuring of I-81 through the city of Syracuse has been considered due to environmental, social, traffic and structural problems the city of Syracuse has seen by having the elevated highway run through the city. The I-81 Viaduct project is currently in the draft environmental impact statement phase, which means they are studying the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project, with plans to make a final decision in late 2017.
While many options have been considered, including building a tunnel or expanding the current viaduct, the DeWitt Town Board is concerned about the community grid option, which would make improvements to streets in Syracuse while closing off the current I-81 and re-routing traffic around the city, with Interstate-481 being the main choice for a re-route. I-481 starts in the south of Syracuse and runs through a large section of the town of DeWitt, and crosses I-81 in North Syracuse and continues northwest toward Oswego.
The Nov. 15 meeting came at the request of Ed Michalenko, DeWitt Town Supervisor, who sent a letter to the New York State DOT on Oct. 18 requesting a public meeting be held in DeWitt, to which the DOT agreed. Prior to that, on Aug. 22, the DeWitt Town Board passed a resolution 5 to 1 that outlined the position the board takes that re-routing traffic would bring environmental, social and infrastructural problems to the town of DeWitt if that option were to be chosen.
“Our view is that is the thru-traffic of I-81 is re-routed to I-481, then the problems the city of Syracuse is having with 81 is just transferred to the residents in DeWitt,” said Michalenko. “We hope the community can come out and let the DOT know of concerns they might have.”
To learn more about the I-81 Viaduct project, go to dot.ny.gov/i81opportunities. For a full copy of the Aug. 22 DeWitt Town Board resolution, contact the town clerk at 446-3910 ext. 2.