I-81 northbound Thruway ramp in Salina closes overnight for paving

The I-81 northbound off-ramp to the New York State Thruway at Exit 7 in Salina closed at 6 p.m. Monday for overnight paving, forcing drivers onto the signed detour until 6 a.m. Tuesday. The shutdown hit one of the main links between Interstate 81 and Interstate 90 in Onondaga County, a route used by commuters, shift workers and freight traffic moving through the Syracuse area.

New York State Department of Transportation said the closure was needed to facilitate paving operations and warned that construction activity was weather-dependent and subject to change based on conditions. Motorists were told to follow the signed detour and to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones.

The ramp closure was part of the broader I-81 Viaduct Project, where Phase 2 was beginning as the state’s sixth contract moved forward. NYSDOT described that contract, awarded to CNY Alliance, as the largest and one of the most complex construction contracts in its history. The work is tied to the 12-mile corridor in Syracuse that has been under review and redesign planning since the 2008 I-81 Corridor Study examined the highway’s existing conditions and future options.

For drivers in Onondaga County, the overnight shutdown landed in the middle of a larger web of construction disruptions already affecting I-81 and I-690. NYSDOT’s travel-advisory page listed additional lane and ramp restrictions elsewhere in Syracuse, showing that the Salina closure was not an isolated event but part of a coordinated round of work tied to the viaduct project. That matters most for trips that depend on quick transfers between I-81 and the Thruway, especially late-night runs, early-morning shift changes and commercial traffic trying to keep to schedule.

The agency’s message was blunt: use the detour, slow down and expect more changing conditions as paving and other phase-two work continue around Syracuse. With the project moving deeper into construction, the Salina ramp closure added another overnight pinch point to a corridor already carrying a steady load of lane shifts, ramp closings and work-zone delays.