I-81 roundabout work snarls University Hill traffic near hospitals

Gridlock around University Hill was already biting into hospital access as the first phase of the I-81 redesign moved traffic onto streets that were crowded long before construction began. Workers near Crouse Hospital, Upstate University Hospital and the area’s parking garages said the new pattern left some colleagues stuck for hours trying to get out, turning a routine commute into a slow crawl.

The impact is broad because University Hill is not just another downtown corridor. WRVO estimated about 25,000 people commute there each day, including workers and students tied to Syracuse University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Crouse Hospital, the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Upstate. That concentration of hospitals, classrooms and offices means even a small shift in road layout can ripple through appointment schedules, shift changes and visitor traffic.

The sharpest pinch point came with the closure of Van Buren Street between Almond Street and Henry Street, along with Almond Street between Taylor Street and Van Buren Street. NYSDOT said the work on the roundabout at the future Business Loop 81 and Van Buren Street began Wednesday, April 15, and would continue through November. Betsy Parmley, the I-81 project director, said drivers who normally use Van Buren Street to reach the parking garages should detour to Adams Street or Irving Avenue.

The state says the roundabout is meant to do more than reroute cars. NYSDOT described it as a two-lane roundabout that will serve as a primary access point to downtown Syracuse in the community grid, slow northbound Business Loop 81 traffic as it shifts from highway speeds to the street grid, and improve access to neighborhoods, businesses, University Hill and downtown attractions. The plan also includes a shared-use path and pedestrian crossing, part of the long-term shift away from the elevated viaduct.

Local leaders said they were bracing for the disruption. Pete Sala, Syracuse University’s chief facilities officer, said the university was preparing for traffic problems, especially around commencement and other major events. Mayor Sharon Owens urged drivers to use the 81 Connect app and “practice patience” as the $2.25 billion project advanced.

The concerns were not limited to inconvenience. Matt Smith, a union leader representing workers at SUNY ESF, warned that delays could force staff to stay late or leave early and could become “really costly” in health-care settings where timing matters. He also said the most serious worry was whether emergency responders could be delayed in a true health-safety event.

The project’s scale helps explain why the road work is so disruptive. NYSDOT has called the I-81 Viaduct Project its largest ever, carried out through eight contracts and rooted in postwar highway planning that dates to the 1944 Federal Highway Act and a 1947 Syracuse urban area report. City leaders say the long-term goal is to reconnect neighborhoods, improve safety and expand access to major employers, health care and the academic community. For now, University Hill is paying the price in slower drives, longer exits and a much tighter path to the hospitals.