NYSDOT Awards Largest Contract in Its History for I-81 Viaduct Phase Two
The New York State Department of Transportation has awarded a $2.1 billion contract, the largest and most complex in the department’s history, launching Phase Two of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse, according to a July 3 announcement from NYSDOT.
Project Scope
The contract, the sixth of eight planned for the $2.3 billion project, goes to CNY Alliance, a joint venture of A. Servidone Inc., B. Anthony Construction Corp., Rifenburg Construction Corp., and Crane-Hogan Structural Systems Inc. Phase Two centers on dismantling the aging 1.4-mile elevated viaduct that has divided the city since the 1950s and 1960s, and building the “Community Grid” of at-grade local streets in its place.
Work under contract six includes reconstruction and realignment of roughly 15 lane miles of Interstate 690 in both directions between Leavenworth Avenue and North Crouse Avenue, closure and removal of existing I-81/I-690 ramps, and construction of new ramps, bridges, and retaining walls supporting future Business Loop 81. A full interchange at North Crouse and Irving Avenues, already under construction as part of an earlier contract, will be completed to serve as a primary gateway to University Hill. The West Street interchange will be rebuilt as an at-grade, pedestrian-friendly corridor connecting the Near Westside neighborhoods to downtown and the Onondaga Creekwalk.
Beyond the highway work, the contract covers rehabilitation and partial reconstruction of 25 local streets, with new sewer and water lines, decorative lighting, sidewalks, shared-use paths, and street trees. NYSDOT expects work to begin imminently. Phase One, which began in 2023, focused on redesignating I-481 as the new I-81 and reconstructing the northern and southern interchanges.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Heavy civil and structural contractors should watch for bid packages tied to I-690 reconstruction, ramp demolition and rebuild, and new bridge and retaining wall work along the Business Loop 81 corridor.
- Underground utility contractors have a long runway of work across the 25 local streets slated for sewer and water line replacement alongside street rebuilds.
- Site and landscaping subcontractors should track the streetscape scope, including new lighting, sidewalks, shared-use paths, and tree planting called for across the Community Grid buildout.
- With six of eight contracts now awarded on the $2.3 billion project, firms without existing relationships to the lead joint ventures should look at lower-tier subcontracting and material supply opportunities as work ramps up through 2027 and beyond.
