State releases renderings for I-81 project contract that targets Syracuse Northside, Inner Harbor areas

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday unveiled new renderings that give Syracuse residents their first glimpse of the new safety and access enhancements coming to the Inner Harbor and Northside as part of the Interstate 81 (I-81) viaduct-replacement project’s third contract. The six renderings depict improvements to North Clinton Street, new bridges along Bear, Court, and Spencer Streets, and pedestrian and cyclist enhancements that connect residents on the Northside to the Empire State Trail. The renderings are available online at: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/Syracuse_I-81_Viaduct_Northside_Inner_Harbor_renderings.pdf

The renderings were on display at a Northside/Inner Harbor open house on Thursday evening at OneGroup at 706 North Clinton St. in Syracuse.

Visuals show a new gateway to the city’s Northside and Inner Harbor, focusing on a reconstructed North Clinton Street that will include new pavement, sidewalks, a shared-use path and on-and-off ramps from future Business Loop 81, per Hochul’s office. Renderings also include a preview of the three replacement bridges on Bear, Court, and Spencer Streets. These structures will be longer to fit over the expanded future Business Loop 81 and feature new sidewalks. Additionally, a shared-use path will be included on the Court and Spencer Street bridges. Pedestrians and cyclists will have improved access to the Empire State Trail through a new shared-use path constructed north of West Bear Street. A view in one of the new renderings shows the existing shared-use path along the Empire State Trail, south of West Bear Street, reconstructed and with amenities that include a bike repair station, bike racks and seating. The third contract of the I-81 project — under construction in the Inner Harbor and Northside — is an extension of the work already underway in the northern and southern interchanges of Interstates 81 and 481 and is supported by federal funding from the federal Infrastructure Law, Hochul’s office said.