SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The New York State Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday, December 7 that the Pavement Rehabilitation Project on 481 in Onondaga and Oswego Counties is complete.
The $14.5 million project limits extend from I-81 Interchange in Cicero to County Route 57 in the City of Fulton.
Route 481 is the primary connector to the Port of Oswego making it a vital roadway connecting the City of Syracuse and the New York State Thruway to the cities of Fulton and Oswego.
“Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State continues to make smart infrastructure investments that support economic growth and enable communities across Central New York to prosper,” announced New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner, Marie Therese Dominguez on Wednesday. “With the completion of this project, motorists can expect a safer, smoother ride on this stretch of I-481, which is an important corridor that is utilized by thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles every day.”
The investment complements the “CNY rising” strategy that strives to revitalize communities and grow the economy in Central New York.
CNY Rising is the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development, which the State has done by investing more than $6.3 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan.
“A core responsibility of government is to provide safe, reliable infrastructure and to continue to make responsible investments and upgrades in its infrastructure. This has been a core tenant of my administration, but it also requires partnerships and a shared commitment from all levels of government,” said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. “Thank you to New York State for sharing in that commitment and their continued investment in the infrastructure of Central New York.”
The project, which started in April 2022, covers almost 13 miles of highway for a total of over 50 lane miles, encompassing both the north and southbound lanes of 481.
The roadway stretches were milled and paved with pavement joints reconstructed as well as replaced with new rumble strips, delineators and mile markers on the entire length of the project. A new median railing was added from the I-81 interchange extending one mile north.
All ramps within the project limits were paved and shoulder backup material was placed on the entire length of the project to eliminate drop-off at the pavement edge.
The project used a double drop method for applying pavement markings, which is a process that embeds road striping into the pavement so that it’s recessed and less susceptible to being scraped off by snowplows.
The project improves pavement ride-ability while also extending the service life of this section of the highway.
“The New York State DOT pavement rehabilitation project is critical for motorists that rely so heavily on our region’s network of roadways,” said Assemblymember Albert A. Stirpe, Jr. “I want to thank Commissioner Dominguez for helping bring this vital multimillion-dollar investment in an important economic corridor for Central New York to fruition. The completed project will improve road safety and make travel easier for our businesses and families.”
Drivers are asked to use caution when traveling through any highway work zones and pay attention to all traffic control devices, including signs and flaggers.
Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.
For up-to-date information, call 511, visit www.511.org, or the mobile site at m511ny.org.