Opponents of plans to demolish a stretch of Interstate 81 that runs through downtown Syracuse are out with a poll. The group of suburban lawmakers and business owners say the survey shows a majority of area residents want the highway to stay right where it is.
Save 81 formed this summer to lobby against what then seemed like momentum towards replacing the aging elevated stretch of I-81 through downtown Syracuse with a six-lane boulevard and rerouting the interstate. They say it will hurt businesses inside and outside of the city that rely on I-81 to bring customers to them. Others argue the elevated highway chokes off downtown and hampers development.
The 1.4 miles of elevated highway is beginning to crumble and transportation planners have made 2017 the target for deciding what to do about the highway. If its path is maintained, the viaduct will likely need to be rebuilt with a wider footprint.
Save 81's poll found that 55 percent of residents prefer maintaining I-81 in its current path. Eighteen percent of those polled were in favor of the boulevard and 18 percent were supportive of a tunnel. It also found city and county residents evenly opposed to the boulevard idea.
The poll was commissioned by the opposition group, not an independent polling agency, and conducted by The Parkside Group. It has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.
On Wednesday, the state Department of Transportation will set up shop at the OnCenter from 3-8 p.m. for a "scoping meeting." Transportation planners will take written and oral comments on the decision process. Those comments will be considered as they begin a lengthy environmental review process of the options deemed feasible. They held a series of public information forums this fall.
