Editing Interstate 481

{{Short description|Highway in New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| state = NY
| route = 481
| type = I
| map = {{maplink-road}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = Map of Syracuse, New York with I-481 highlighted in red
| length_mi = 15.04
| length_ref = <ref>{{cite web |date=December 31, 2021 |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |access-date=July 20, 2022 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]}}</ref>
| established = January 1, 1970<ref name="1970log" />
| spur_type = I
| spur_of = 81
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=NY|I|81}} in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]
| junction = {{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=NY|I|690}} in [[East Syracuse, New York|East Syracuse]]
*{{jct|state=NY|I-Toll|90|NYST}} in [[DeWitt, New York|DeWitt]]
}}
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = {{jct|state=NY|I|81|NY|481}} in [[North Syracuse, New York|North Syracuse]]
| counties = [[Onondaga County, New York|Onondaga]]
| previous_type = I
| previous_route = 478
| next_type = NY
| next_route = 481
| browse = {{ny browse|previous_type=NY|previous_route=280|route=[[File:I-281 (long).svg|25px|alt=I-281|link=]]|next_type=NY|next_route=281}}
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;481''' ('''I-481''') is an [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] that serves as an eastern bypass of [[Syracuse, New York]], in the US. It begins at its parent, [[Interstate 81 in New York|I-81]], in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of [[Jamesville, New York|Jamesville]], [[DeWitt, New York|DeWitt]], and [[Cicero, New York|Cicero]] before rejoining I-81 in the suburb of [[North Syracuse, New York|North Syracuse]]. Upon crossing I-81 in North Syracuse, I-481 continues northwest to [[Fulton, Oswego County, New York|Fulton]] and [[Oswego, New York|Oswego]] as [[New York State Route&nbsp;481]] (NY&nbsp;481). I-481 is part of the [[Veterans Memorial Highway]], which extends northward onto NY&nbsp;481. By 2026, I-481 will be decommissioned by a reroute of I-81 onto the freeway.<ref>https://webapps.dot.ny.gov/contract-2-southern-interchange</ref>

==Route description==
I-481 begins at [[Interstate 81 in New York|I-81]]'s exit&nbsp;82 (exit 1A on I-81), a [[directional T interchange]] in the South Valley section of the city of [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]. Immediately crossing under [[New York State Route 173|NY&nbsp;173]], I-481 proceeds eastward alongside Rock Cut Road (unsigned [[County Route 103 (Onondaga County, New York)|County Route&nbsp;103]] [CR&nbsp;103]), which meets the freeway at exit&nbsp;83 heading east. I-481 crosses out of Syracuse and into the town of [[Onondaga, New York|Onondaga]], paralleling Rock Cut Road into [[Clark Reservation State Park]]. The Interstate Highway makes a bend to the northeast, crossing over tracks used by the [[New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway]] and entering exit&nbsp;85, which connects to Jamesville Road ([[County Route 7 (Onondaga County, New York)|CR&nbsp;7]]).<ref name="bing">{{bing maps|url=http://binged.it/KpYKkn|title=overview map of Interstate 481|access-date=June 2, 2012}}</ref>
[[File:I-481 at Exit 9N.jpg|left|thumb|I-481 northbound nearing I-81 in North Syracuse]]
After exit&nbsp;2, I-481 makes a bend to the north, crossing east of Butternut Creek Golf Course as it crosses into the town of [[DeWitt, New York|DeWitt]]. In DeWitt, I-481 enters an interchange (exit&nbsp;87) with [[New York State Route 5|NY&nbsp;5]] and [[New York State Route 92|NY&nbsp;92]] (East Genesee Street) just west of the hamlet of Lyndon. After the junction, I-481 continues bending to the northeast, crossing the west end of Old Erie Canal State Park and east of White Chapel Memory Gardens before entering a large interchange with the eastern terminus of [[Interstate 690|I-690]]. Just north of the interchange, I-481 crosses over [[New York State Route 290|NY&nbsp;290]] (Manlius Center Road) and [[CSX Transportation]]'s DeWitt Yard. A short distance after the railroad, I-481 enters exit&nbsp;90, which connects to Kirkville Road ([[County Route 53 (Onondaga County, New York)|CR&nbsp;53]]).<ref name="bing" />

After the interchange with CR&nbsp;53, I-481 continues northward through DeWitt, paralleling Fly Road ([[County Route 77 (Onondaga County, New York)|CR&nbsp;77]]). A short distance later, I-481 crosses over the [[New York State Thruway]] ([[Interstate 90 in New York|I-90]]) and enters exit&nbsp;91, a [[trumpet interchange]] leading to exit&nbsp;34A of the Thruway. A short distance after the Thruway, I-481 enters a [[partial cloverleaf interchange]] with [[New York State Route 298|NY&nbsp;298]] (Collamer Road). The freeway continues northeast, crossing over East Taft Road ([[County Route 18 (Onondaga County, New York)|CR&nbsp;18]]) in DeWitt before bending northwest into the town of [[Cicero, New York|Cicero]]. In Cicero, I-481 enters an interchange (exit&nbsp;95) with Northern Boulevard ([[County Route 82 (Onondaga County, New York)|CR&nbsp;82]]). A short distance to the west in the town of [[North Syracuse, New York|North Syracuse]], I-481 enters exit&nbsp;96, a cloverleaf interchange with exit 11 on I-81. At this junction, the designation of I-481 ends while [[New York State Route 481|NY&nbsp;481]] continues northwestward toward [[Oswego, New York|Oswego]].<ref name="bing" />

==History==
What is now I-481 was originally proposed as parts of two separate highways bypassing the city of [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]. From the [[New York State Thruway]] ([[Interstate 90 in New York|I-90]]) in [[DeWitt, New York|DeWitt]]<ref name="1970log">{{cite book |url=http://www.greaternyroads.info/pdfs/state70.pdf |title=Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State |author=State of New York Department of Transportation |author-link=State of New York Department of Transportation |date=January 1, 1970 |access-date=July 13, 2010}}</ref> southwest to [[Interstate 81 in New York|I-81]] in the south end of Syracuse, the highway was originally designated as I-281.<ref name="1963map">{{cite map |title=New York Happy Motoring Guide |publisher=[[Esso]] |cartography=[[General Drafting]] |year=1963 |edition=1963}}</ref> North of the thruway, modern I-481 was initially part of "Relocated Route&nbsp;57", a proposed [[limited-access highway]] extending from [[New York State Route 57|NY&nbsp;57]] in [[Fulton, Oswego County, New York|Fulton]] to the thruway in DeWitt via [[North Syracuse, New York|North Syracuse]]. All of I-281 and the segment of Relocated Route&nbsp;57 east of I-81 in North Syracuse were redesignated as I-481 on January&nbsp;1, 1970.<ref name="1970log" />

The first section of the highway to be constructed was the portion between Jamesville Road and [[New York State Route 5|NY&nbsp;5]]. Work on this portion of the freeway began {{circa|1963}}<ref>{{cite map |title=New York with Sight-Seeing Guide |publisher=Esso |cartography=General Drafting |year=1962 |edition=1962}}</ref> and was completed and opened to traffic by 1965.<ref>{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=[[Mobil]] |cartography=[[Rand McNally and Company]] |year=1965}}</ref> Construction of I-281, and later I-481, initially progressed northward from NY&nbsp;5. The segment between Lyndon and [[Interstate 690|I-690]] was opened to traffic in the early 1970s,<ref>{{cite map |title=New York State Highways |publisher=[[State of New York Department of Commerce]] |year=1969 |cartography=Rand McNally and Company}}</ref><ref>{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=[[Shell Oil Company]] |cartography=[[H.M. Gousha Company]] |year=1973 |edition=1973}}</ref> while the piece between I-690 and the thruway was completed by 1977.<ref>{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=[[Exxon]] |year=1977 |edition=1977–78 |cartography=General Drafting}}</ref> To the southwest, the section of I-481 from I-81 to Jamesville Road was finished in the early 1980s, finally connecting I-481 to its parent.<ref>{{cite map |title=New York |publisher=Exxon |year=1979 |cartography=General Drafting}}</ref><ref>{{cite map |title=[[I Love New York]] Tourism Map |publisher=[[State of New York]] |cartography=Rand McNally and Company |year=1981}}</ref> The last portion of the route from the thruway to I-81 in North Syracuse was completed south of [[New York State Route 298|NY&nbsp;298]] by 1985<ref>{{cite map |publisher=Rand McNally and Company |title=New York |year=1985 |isbn=0-528-91040-X}}</ref> and finished by 1990.<ref>{{cite map |publisher=[[DeLorme Mapping]] |title=Upstate New York City Street Maps |edition=1st |year=1990 |cartography=DeLorme Mapping |scale=1" = 1/2 mile |page=19 |isbn=0-89933-300-1}}</ref>

==Future==
As part of the demolition and replacement of I-81 through [[Downtown Syracuse]], I-481 will be redesignated as I-81, while the current route of I-81 will be redesignated as I-81 Business (I-81 Bus). As part of the project, both interchanges between I-81 and I-481 will be reconstructed. The ramps would be expanded to carry more traffic to account for the increased traffic. Also as part of the project, I-481 would be expanded to three lanes each way between exits&nbsp;89 (I-690) and 90 (Kirkville Road); to three lanes northbound between exits&nbsp;90 and 91 (I-90); and to three lanes southbound between exits&nbsp;96 (I-81) and 95 (Northern Boulevard). Construction  started in may 2022  and take five years to complete.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lohmann|first=Patrick|title=Exclusive: New York selects 'community grid' alternative for I-81 in Syracuse|work=Syracuse.com|date=April 22, 2019|url=https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/04/exclusive-new-york-selects-community-grid-alternative-for-i-81.html|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/04/i-81-timeline-community-grid-will-take-5-years-of-construction-ny-says.html|title=I-81 timeline: Community grid will take 5 years of construction, NY says|last=McMahon|first=Julie|date=April 22, 2019|website= Syracuse.com |language=en|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cnycentral.com/news/local/i-81-timeline-what-happens-next|title=I-81 Timeline: What happens next?|last=CNYCentral|date=April 23, 2019|website= CNYCentral |publisher = WSTM-TV |access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> However, in May 2021, Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] announced the project would not commence until the following year. At this time, the New York state government allocated $800&nbsp;million to the "community grid" plan.<ref name="Weaver 2021">{{cite web | last=Weaver | first=Teri | title=Syracuse's I-81 project gets $800M in NY budget, with latest plan coming this summer | website=syracuse | date=2021-04-09 | url=https://www.syracuse.com/state/2021/04/syracuses-i-81-project-gets-800m-in-ny-budget-with-latest-plan-coming-this-summer.html | access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref> In preparation for the reconstruction/relocation of I-81 around Syracuse, the [[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]] (AASHTO), at its annual Spring Meeting in May 2021, conditionally approved the [[New York State Department of Transportation]] (NYSDOT)'s application to reroute I-81 over I-481 around the east side of Syracuse and redesignate I-81 through Syracuse as I-81 Bus, pending concurrence from the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA). The I-481 designation will be eliminated once these route changes have been completed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=US Route Number Applications |url=https://route.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2021/08/USRN-Applications_Compiled_2021.pdf |access-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420073753/https://route.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2021/08/USRN-Applications_Compiled_2021.pdf |archive-date=2023-04-20 |publisher=[[American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials]]}}</ref>

==Exit list==
Exit numbers follow I-81's future rerouting around Syracuse. {{NYinttop|old|length_ref=<ref name="2008tvr">{{cite web|url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Volume%20Report%202008.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927024222/https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Volume%20Report%202008.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 27, 2012 |title=2008 Traffic Volume Report for New York State |date=June 16, 2009 |page=238 |publisher=[[New York State Department of Transportation]] |access-date=February 1, 2010 }}</ref>|county=Onondaga}}
{{NYint|old
|location=Syracuse
|lspan=2
|mile=0.00
|mspan=2
|old=–
|exit=81
|road={{jct|state=NY|I|81|city1=Syracuse|city2=Binghamton}}
|notes=Southern terminus; exit 16A on I-81
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=none
|old=1
|exit=81-82
|road=Brighton Avenue / Rock Cut Road
|notes=Rock Cut Road not signed southbound
}}
{{NYint|old
|location=DeWitt
|lspan=6
|mile=3.33
|old=2
|exit=84
|road=Jamesville Road&nbsp;– [[Jamesville, New York|Jamesville]]
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=5.14
|old=3
|exit=86
|road={{jct|state=NY|NY|5|NY|92|city1=DeWitt|city2=Fayetteville}}
|notes=Signed as exits 86A (east) and 86B (west) northbound
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=6.40
|old=4
|exit=88
|road={{jct|state=NY|I|690|dir1=west|city1=Syracuse|location2=[[New York State Fairgrounds|Fairgrounds]]}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of I-690
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=8.32
|old=5
|exit=89
|road=Kirkville Road
|notes=Signed as exits 89A (east) and 89B (west)
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=9.45
|old=6
|exit=90
|type=etc
|road={{jct|state=NY|I-Toll|90|NYST|city1=Albany|city2=Buffalo}}
|notes=Exit 34A on I-90 / Thruway
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=10.20
|old=7
|exit=91
|road={{jct|state=NY|NY|298|city1=Bridgeport}}
}}
{{NYint|old
|location=Cicero
|lspan=3
|mile=13.48
|old=8
|exit=95
|road=Northern Boulevard
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=15.08
|mspan=2
|old=9
|exit=96
|road={{jct|state=NY|I|81|city1=Watertown|city2=Syracuse}}
|notes=Signed as exits 96A (north) and 96B (south); exit 11 on I-81
}}
{{NYint|old
|mile=none
|road={{jct|state=NY|NY|481|dir1=north|city1=Oswego}}
|notes=Continuation north
}}
{{jctbtm|old|keys=etc}}

==See also==
{{Portal|U.S. roads}}
*[[New York State Route&nbsp;481]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Attached KML}}
{{NYSR external links|type=I|nyroutes=yes|route=481|alps=yes|unyrds=yes}}

{{3di|81}}
{{Syracuse, New York}}

[[Category:Interstate Highways in New York (state)|81-4]]
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|81-4]]
[[Category:Interstate 81|4]]
[[Category:Transportation in Onondaga County, New York]]
[[Category:Transportation in Syracuse, New York]]
[[Category:Central New York]]
[[Category:DeWitt, New York]]