In June, the Salina Town Board passed a resolution calling on the New York State Department of Transportation, the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council and various state lawmakers representing Onondaga County to maintain the existing alignment of I-81 through Syracuse as plans to rehabilitate the aging portions of the highway are being considered.
The Town Board highlighted Moody’s Investors Service’s prediction for Salina’s economic growth given its proximity to Syracuse and its position at the “Crossroads of New York.” The traffic flow through I-81 has provided, in the words of the Salina Town Board, “economic lifeblood” to the community, and cutting this artery would risk an already fragile economy. The Board expressed its support for any plan that maintains I-81’s current route and allows for the greatest opportunity for economic growth in the Central New York region.
Salina officials believe that replacing the elevated highway in Syracuse with a boulevard and re-routing I-81 traffic around the city would hinder economic development in Central New York.