Interstate 81 (New York)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Interstate 81 (I-81) is a part of the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
that runs from
I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and ...
at
Dandridge, Tennessee Dandridge is a town in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Tennessee. It had a population of 3,341 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Jefferson and Hamblen co ...
, to the
Thousand Islands Bridge The Thousand Islands International Bridge () is an American-maintained international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada. Constructed in 1937, with add ...
at
Wellesley Island Wellesley Island is an island in Jefferson County, New York, the island is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria. History The island was named Wells Island but during his 1815 survey of the US-Canada borde ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, beyond which the short
Ontario Highway 137 King's Highway 137, commonly referred to as Highway 137, is a Ontario Provincial Highway Network, provincially maintained highway in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario that connects the northern end of Interstate ...
(Highway 137) links it to
Highway 401 King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provi ...
. In the
US state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, I-81 extends from the Pennsylvania state line southeast of
Binghamton Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
to the
Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...
at Wellesley Island northwest of
Alexandria Bay Alexandria Bay is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, within the town of Alexandria. It is located in the Thousand Islands region of northern New York. The population of the village was 1,078 at the 2010 United States census. ...
. The freeway runs north–south through
Central New York The central region of New York state includes: * Auburn in Cayuga County * Cortland in Cortland County * Oneida in Madison County * Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County * Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County ...
, serving the cities of Binghamton,
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
, and Watertown. It passes through the
Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (, ) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream fr ...
in its final miles and crosses two bridges, both part of the series of bridges known as the
Thousand Islands Bridge The Thousand Islands International Bridge () is an American-maintained international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada. Constructed in 1937, with add ...
. South of Watertown, I-81 closely parallels US Route 11 (US 11), the main north–south highway in Central New York prior to the construction of I-81. At Watertown, US 11 turns northeastward to head across New York's
North Country North Country may refer to: Places * North Country, Cornwall, England * North Country, the northern third of New Hampshire, U.S. **Great North Woods Region (New Hampshire) *North Country (New York), a region of Upstate New York ** North Country Co ...
region while I-81 continues on a generally northward track to the Canadian border. From there, the road continues into the province of
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
as Highway 137, a short route leading north to the nearby Highway 401. The portion of I-81 in New York was originally developed as the Penn-Can Highway, one of four expressways proposed by the state in 1953. It was added to the Interstate Highway System and designated I-81 in 1957 and constructed in sections over the course of the next decade. The first segment was completed in the mid-1950s, running from Tully to the southern edge of Syracuse. The last piece opened in the late 1960s, linking
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
to Whitney Point.


Route description


Southern Tier

I-81 crosses the
New York–Pennsylvania border The New York–Pennsylvania border is the state line between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Pennsylvania. It has three sections: * Along the center line of the Delaware River from the Tri-States Monument tripoint with New Jerse ...
about southeast of the city of
Binghamton Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
. The freeway heads northwest from the state line, running through a valley surrounding the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
in the town of Kirkwood. This stretch of I-81 closely parallels US 11, continuing a trend that originally began at I-81's southern terminus in eastern
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. Both roads head across relatively undeveloped areas along the eastern riverbank to the outskirts of Binghamton, where I-81 merges with
New York State Route 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and runs east as a limite ...
(NY 17; Future
I-86 Interstate 86 may refer to any of three unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York) * Interstate 86 (Idaho) * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an In ...
) in an industrial area east of the city. I-81 and NY 17
overlap Overlap may refer to: * In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram. * In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases * Ove ...
for , running along the northern edge of the Binghamton suburbs before entering the city itself. About north of downtown, the freeway connects to Brandywine Highway, a
limited-access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, partial controlled-access highway, and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a contro ...
carrying NY 7 through mostly residential areas on the north side of the city. Just west of the Brandywine Highway junction, I-81 and NY 17 cross the Chenango River as they split at a
directional T interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
comprising part of an S-curve in NY 17 known locally as Kamikaze Curve. While NY 17 heads west into the curve, I-81 proceeds northward along the west bank of the river, connecting to US 11 and passing by
SUNY Broome Community College SUNY Broome Community College (BCC or SUNY Broome) is a public community college in Broome County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY). The college was founded in 1946 and has gone through several name changes. The sc ...
on its way into the suburban town of Chenango. Here, I-81 meets the western terminus of
I-88 Interstate 88 may refer to either of two United States Interstate highways: * Interstate 88 (Illinois), running from East Moline to Hillside * Interstate 88 (New York) Interstate 88 (I-88) is an Interstate Highway located entirely with ...
at a junction roughly north of Binghamton. Continuing on, the freeway intersects US 11 a second time before leaving the banks of the Susquehanna River and proceeding generally northwestward into increasingly rural areas of the
Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York, Upstate region of New York (state), New York State, geographically situated along or very near the state border with Pennsylvania. Definitions of the region vary wide ...
. The route makes its way across a series of hills and valleys for to the village of Whitney Point, connecting to US 11 and two state routes of regional importance—
NY 26 New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broom ...
and
NY 79 New York State Route 79 (NY 79) is a east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the intersection with NY 414 near the southern end of Seneca Lake ...
—at two exits on the western edge of the community. Continuing on, I-81 begins to follow the
Tioughnioga River The Tioughnioga River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Chenango River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissecte ...
, a tributary of the Susquehanna, as it bypasses the nearby village of Lisle to the east. While US 11 runs across the base of a valley flanking the river, the freeway proceeds along the valley's eastern edge, overlooking the valley road on its way to the BroomeCortland county line. Both routes cross the border at points just yards apart, beginning their transition from the Southern Tier region to
Central New York The central region of New York state includes: * Auburn in Cayuga County * Cortland in Cortland County * Oneida in Madison County * Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County * Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County ...
. About from the county line, I-81 encounters the village of
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
, situated inside the river valley at the junction of US 11 and NY 221. The freeway connects to the latter at an interchange just east of the village center before heading northwestward for across a series of
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
s in another prolonged rural stretch. Along the way, I-81 passes between the Tuller Hill and Hoxie Gorge state forests, located near Messengerville on the western and eastern sides of the highway, respectively.


Cortland to Syracuse

The rural, northwestward trend ends west of the village of McGraw at a junction with NY 41, the primary east–west (signed north–south) road through the community. NY 41 continues west from the exit for a short distance to meet US 11, and the two routes become concurrent for the next . I-81, US 11, and NY 41 all head westward from this point, passing a handful of scattered businesses to reach the eastern edge of the nearby city of Cortland. While US 11 and NY 41 continue directly into the city, I-81 bypasses it to the northeast. As such, it crosses only moderately developed areas on the periphery of Cortland. The road connects to downtown Cortland by way of an exit with NY 13, a north–south route serving most of Central New York. Near the exit, the Tioughnioga River splits into two branches, with NY 13 following the east branch to the northeast and I-81 proceeding westward along the west branch. North of downtown Cortland, I-81 makes a 90-degree turn to the north, matching a similar curve in the course of the nearby river. This track brings the freeway to the suburban village of
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
, which I-81 connects to via exit 54. The
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usi ...
feeds into a long east–west ramp linking the highway to the parallel US 11, NY 41, and NY 281, another parallel road farther west. NY 41 leaves US 11 in Homer, and I-81, US 11, and NY 281 proceed slightly northeastward across a low-lying, undeveloped area in an otherwise hilly region of Cortland County. Just south of the
Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state. Onondaga County is the core of the ...
line, I-81 directly meets NY 281 as it crosses from the western side of the freeway to the eastern edge. They meet one final time across the county line near the village of Tully, where NY 281 ends as I-81 intersects
NY 80 New York State Route 80 (NY 80) is a west–east New York State Route located within Onondaga, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Herkimer, and Montgomery counties in New York. Its western terminus is located at a junction with NY&n ...
and NY 11A. The west branch of the
Tioughnioga River The Tioughnioga River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Chenango River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissecte ...
also terminates here, flowing into
Tully Lake Tully Lake, of Royalston, Massachusetts, is a reservoir and flood control project constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 1949 for 1.6 million dollars. The project prevents flooding of the greater Connecticut River and ...
at the county line. The amount of development along the freeway slowly increases as it heads north through the county. In LaFayette, I-81 meets with US 20, one of a handful of east–west roads spanning the width of the state. Continuing on, I-81 and US 11 pass east of
Onondaga Reservation Onondaga Reservation is a Native American reservation in Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the territory of the Onondaga Nation. It lies just south of the city of Syracuse. The population was 2,244 at the 2010 census. The Onondaga R ...
, connecting once again at exit 78 before entering the city of
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
. At this point, the forests that had lined both roads give way to the dense residential neighborhoods that comprise the city's southern half. Roughly south of
Downtown Syracuse Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 4,300. It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse. History Downtown Syrac ...
, I-81 meets with I-481, an alternate route of I-81 bypassing the city to the east. I-81 itself proceeds due north toward downtown on an embankment, running alongside the
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also referred to as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna, and formerly the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad, is an American Railroad classes#Class II, Class II Rail freight transport, freight r ...
(NYSW) and passing adjacent to Oakwood Cemetery. The surrounding area transitions from mostly residential to mostly commercial at the north edge of the cemetery, where I-81 passes west of the campuses of
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
and
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
.


Syracuse and Oswego County

West of Syracuse University, the NYSW turns west to pass under I-81. At this point, the embankment gives way to an
elevated highway An elevated highway is a controlled-access highway that is raised above grade for its entire length. Elevation is usually constructed as viaducts, typically a long pier bridge. Technically, the entire highway is a single bridge. Reason to cons ...
carrying I-81 through downtown right next to the
State University of New York Upstate Medical University The State University of New York Upstate Medical University (SUNY Upstate) is a public medical school in Syracuse, New York. Founded in 1834, Upstate is the 15th oldest medical school in the United States and is the only medical school in Centr ...
(SUNY Upstate). The road separates the 15th Ward on its west side from Syracuse University and the area's hospitals on its east side; it also visually hangs over the predominantly residential 15th Ward. Farther north, the density of the commercial districts adjacent to the highway continue to increase as the road enters Downtown Syracuse. For roughly a half-mile (), I-81 heads east–west, running alongside I-690 and connecting to the highway by way of a series of closely spaced ramps. Like I-81, the incomplete interchange is entirely elevated, passing over parts of several downtown blocks. Past I-690, I-81 transitions from an elevated road to a subsurface highway as it cuts across the north half of downtown and proceeds northwest past an old industrial area that was once Syracuse's
Inner Harbor The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark in Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". The Inner Harbo ...
. The elevated portion in Syracuse was expected to reach the end of its useful life in 2017 but remains in service. The
cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
eventually brings the freeway to the southeastern tip of
Onondaga Lake Onondaga Lake is located in Central New York, immediately northwest of and adjacent to Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore are industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern ...
, where I-81 ascends in elevation once again at a network of interchanges with
NY 370 New York State Route 370 (NY 370) is an east–west state highway in Central New York in the United States. It extends for about from an intersection with NY 104 and NY 104A south of the Wayne County village of Red Creek ...
and a handful of nearby streets. The series of junctions serve
Destiny USA Destiny USA (stylized as destiny usa and also known by its former name Carousel Center) is a six-story Shopping mall#Super-regional mall, super-regional shopping, dining, and entertainment complex on the shore of Onondaga Lake in the city of Syra ...
, the area's largest mall;
NBT Bank Stadium NBT Bank Stadium is a publicly owned, 10,815-seat, minor league baseball stadium in Syracuse, New York. It is the home stadium for the Syracuse Mets Triple-A baseball team of the International League. The stadium, owned and at times operated by ...
, the home of the
Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which ope ...
; and the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center (RTC), Syracuse's bus and train station. I-81 subsequently passes over
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
's
Mohawk Subdivision The Mohawk Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs from Amsterdam, NY west to Oneida, NY along the former New York Central Railroad main line. At its east end, east of downtown Ams ...
rail line, which serves the RTC. North of the rail overpass, the road finally returns to ground level as it heads northeastward through Syracuse's residential northern suburbs. In Salina, I-81 meets the
New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...
(
I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
) at exit 7 and connects to
Syracuse Hancock International Airport Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil–military airport northeast of downtown Syracuse, New York. Operated by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, it is located off Interstate 81, near Mattydale. The main terminal comp ...
at exit 9. About north of downtown, the highway enters the village of North Syracuse, where I-481 rejoins I-81 at exit 11 (exit 96 southbound). While I-481 continues northwest from North Syracuse as
NY 481 New York State Route 481 (NY 481) is a List of State Routes in New York, state highway in Central New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with Interstate 81 in New York, Interstate 81 ...
, I-81 travels north through residential areas of gradually decreasing density. Just north of the junction with I-481 and NY 481, the freeway passes east of the former
Penn-Can Mall Driver's Village is an auto row in Cicero, New York, near Syracuse, New York, United States. It is housed in a former shopping mall which was known as Penn-Can Mall. Opened on March 28, 1976, Penn-Can Mall was the first enclosed mall on the north ...
, the largest commercial parcel in the area. I-81's first junction north of Syracuse is in the town of
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
, where it connects to
NY 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its ...
, another regionally important highway. North of here, US 11 begins to closely parallel I-81 once again, rejoining the highway's vicinity after following an erratic alignment through Syracuse. The two roads run across relatively flat and increasingly undeveloped land to Brewerton, a
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
adjacent to where
Oneida Lake Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York state, with a surface area of . The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It feeds the Oneida River, a tributary of the Oswego River (New York), Oswego River, which ...
empties into the
Oneida River The Oneida River is a river that forms a portion of the boundary between Oswego and Onondaga counties in central New York. The river flows from Oneida Lake's outlet to its confluence with the Seneca River, where the two rivers combine to form ...
. While US 11 runs through the community, I-81 bypasses it to the east, offering unobstructed views of the lake as it crosses the lake outlet and enters
Oswego County Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 117,525. The county seat is Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning "the pouring out place", referring t ...
. On the opposite riverbank, I-81 initially runs past a line of lakefront houses and cottages; however, it soon enters a large marshy area named Big Bay Swamp. The wetlands reach as far north as Central Square, a village just west of I-81's interchange with NY 49. For most of the next , I-81 runs north across a mixture of swamps and fields, both undeveloped and fairly level in elevation. Along this stretch, the freeway links to two more major routes: NY 69 and
NY 104 New York State Route 104 (NY 104) is a east–west state highway in Upstate New York in the United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it foll ...
. The highway eventually reaches the village of Pulaski, where it reconnects to NY 13 at a partial interchange east of the village center. From here to Watertown, I-81 loosely parallels
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...
, located about to the west and more closely followed by NY 3. Another substantial stretch of open, rolling fields brings the route to Sandy Creek, where it connects to County Route 15 (CR 15), a highway designated NY 288 during the 1930s.


North Country

Past Sandy Creek, I-81 proceeds into Jefferson County, where it continues to travel across rural, undeveloped areas with only gentle elevation changes. US 11 crosses I-81 for the last time just north of the county line, connecting to the freeway and switching from the highway's west side to its east side. As a result, I-81 now passes west of several villages and large hamlets, all located directly on US 11. Connections to the communities are made by the primary east–west highways serving them, namely CR 90 for Mannsville, NY 193 for Pierrepont Manor, NY 178 for
Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California * Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...
, and NY 177 for Adams Center. At Adams Center, both I-81 and US 11 take on a more northeasterly routing, bringing them farther inland toward the city of Watertown. The final exit before the city itself leads to NY 232, a short connector between I-81 and Watertown Center, the southern extent of Watertown's suburbs. The rural surroundings finally end, albeit briefly, in the vicinity of Watertown, where I-81 intersects NY 3 in a commercialized area west of downtown Watertown. All four corners of the junction contain at least one shopping plaza, and the northwestern corner features the sprawling Salmon Run Mall. The commercial development follows I-81 north to its next exit, a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade separation, grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. ...
with NY 12F near Jefferson Community College. At this point, I-81 turns northeastward, running south of an industrial park and north of the college before crossing the Black River to meet
NY 12 New York State Route 12 (NY 12) is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York (state), New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in New York, U.S. Route 11 (U ...
in a less developed but still commercialized area north of the city. US 11 and I-81 finally part ways at this point, with I-81 continuing north toward
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and US 11 heading northeast to serve some of the
North Country North Country may refer to: Places * North Country, Cornwall, England * North Country, the northern third of New Hampshire, U.S. **Great North Woods Region (New Hampshire) *North Country (New York), a region of Upstate New York ** North Country Co ...
's northernmost communities. As the highway leaves the Watertown area, it passes into another area of rolling, open terrain with only pockets of development in the immediate vicinity of the road's interchanges. NY 37 largely replaces US 11 as the paralleling surface route, and the state route follows I-81 for to the vicinity of
Theresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; ) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Classical Greek, Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
. West of the village, I-81 intersects
NY 411 New York State Route 411 (NY 411) is an east–west state highway in Jefferson County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with New York State Route 180, NY 180 in the community ...
, a connector between La Fargeville and NY 37. While NY 37 continues north from Theresa, I-81 turns to the northwest, crossing increasingly isolated areas of the state to reach NY 12 on the south shore of the
St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...
midway between Clayton and
Alexandria Bay Alexandria Bay is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, within the town of Alexandria. It is located in the Thousand Islands region of northern New York. The population of the village was 1,078 at the 2010 United States census. ...
. From here, the freeway becomes a two-lane undivided road, and heads into the
Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (, ) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream fr ...
on the first of several bridges over the St. Lawrence known collectively as the
Thousand Islands Bridge The Thousand Islands International Bridge () is an American-maintained international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River connecting northern New York in the United States with southeastern Ontario in Canada. Constructed in 1937, with add ...
. The long, continuous bridge span between the U.S. mainland and
Wellesley Island Wellesley Island is an island in Jefferson County, New York, the island is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria. History The island was named Wells Island but during his 1815 survey of the US-Canada borde ...
(one of the archipelago's largest) is one of the few remaining two-lane stretches on the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
. In the Thousand Islands, I-81 becomes a four-lane freeway again and runs across the sparsely-developed Wellesley Island, initially heading northwest and connecting to a pair of county-maintained roads before turning northeast at the eastern edge of
Wellesley Island State Park Wellesley Island State Park is a state park located on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York. The park is divided into sections that are on different parts of the island. It has the la ...
. The freeway turns one final time near the northern edge of the island, curving back to the northwest at exit 186, the last exit along I-81. For most of its run on Wellesley Island, I-81 runs along or close to the island's edge, permitting views of the St. Lawrence River and some of the area's other islands. Not far from exit 186, an interchange linking the freeway to a paralleling local road, I-81 crosses the International Rift on a bridge connecting Wellesley Island to
Hill Island Hill Island is a Baffin Island offshore island located in the Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated o ...
in
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada, terminating at the Canadian border at the bridge's midpoint. From here, the physical road continues north as Highway 137 onto Hill Island, Constance Island, Georgina Island, and the Canadian mainland via the Canadian spans of the Thousand Islands Bridge before finally ending at a
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, usi ...
with
Highway 401 King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provi ...
.


History

The
Binghamton Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
Watertown corridor was originally served by NY 2, a route assigned as part of the creation of the modern New York state route system in 1924. It was replaced by US 11 when US Routes were first posted in New York in 1927. In February 1953, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey proposed constructing four expressways across the state of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
to supplement the then-under construction
New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...
. One of the four proposed highways closely followed US 11, beginning in
Binghamton Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the con ...
and proceeding generally northward through
Central New York The central region of New York state includes: * Auburn in Cayuga County * Cortland in Cortland County * Oneida in Madison County * Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County * Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County ...
to the
Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...
north of Watertown. A connection to the Pennsylvania state line was eventually added to the route, which became known as the Penn-Can Highway. On August 14, 1957, the Penn-Can Highway was included in the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
and designated as part of I-81. In the mid-1950s, the first section of the highway was completed, connecting Tully (now exit 66) to Nedrow (now exit 78), just south of Syracuse. Another section, extending from North Syracuse (now exit 8) to Brewerton (now exit 102), was opened to traffic in the late 1950s. In the
North Country North Country may refer to: Places * North Country, Cornwall, England * North Country, the northern third of New Hampshire, U.S. **Great North Woods Region (New Hampshire) *North Country (New York), a region of Upstate New York ** North Country Co ...
, the first completed section ran from
Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California * Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...
(now exit 143) to Pamelia (now exit 160); it was put into service on October 21, 1959. Extensions of the North Syracuse–Brewerton segment south into
Downtown Syracuse Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 4,300. It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse. History Downtown Syrac ...
(now exit 3B) and north to
Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
(now exit 114) were completed . The section between modern exits 134 and 143 in southern Jefferson County was finished in November 1961, and the gap between the Syracuse–Parish and Jefferson County segments was filled on December 1, 1961, creating a continuous
limited-access highway A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, partial controlled-access highway, and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a contro ...
between
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
and Watertown. I-81 was opened to traffic from the Pennsylvania state line north to NY 17 in Kirkwood in mid-1961, and the piece linking Pamelia to the Canadian border was completed on September 29, 1965. Three more sections of I-81 were finished to traffic in the mid-1960s, completing all of I-81 within the state except for the portion between NY 221 in
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...
and
NY 26 New York State Route 26 (NY 26) is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broom ...
in Whitney Point. The Marathon–Whitney Point segment was completed . In Syracuse, part of I-81 was built on an elevated highway, intended to make travel from Downtown Syracuse to
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
faster. The construction of the I-81 came with much controversy. After the freeway was completed, many neighborhoods were disrupted by the presence of the freeway. One neighborhood in particular, the 15th Ward in Syracuse, was largely replaced by the freeway. This decimated a close-knit
Black-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
community. When the displaced community attempted to disperse out into the city, white residents fled, reducing the population of the city by 30 percent over 60 years, while the population of the county grew 55 percent. The portion for road in Binghamton, nicknamed the Kamikaze Curve due to its hazardous design, was demolished and replaced as part of a project undertaken from 2014 to December 2020. This also saw nearby exits rebuilt in an effort to reduce congestion. The removal of sections of I-81 running through Syracuse has been discussed since at least the turn of the century. In 2001, Syracuse Common Councillor Van Robinson called for the removal of some elevated portions of I-81 that were blocking Upstate Medical University. He stated that the bridge not only presented a problem sectionalizing the Syracuse area but also it presented a problem for
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
and SUNY Upstate. One major reason for the urgency of this effort is the condition of the elevated highway and other bridges located on I-81 between the I-481 interchanges on opposite sides of the city, as well as on I-690 in the vicinity of I-81's interchange with the highway. In 2011, the official process in deciding the future of I-81 was started by two entities: NYSDOT and the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC), the region's
metropolitan planning organization A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorit ...
. NYSDOT is responsible for overseeing the process and, eventually, its construction. SMTC consists of member agencies that have a stake in transportation decisions in
Central New York The central region of New York state includes: * Auburn in Cayuga County * Cortland in Cortland County * Oneida in Madison County * Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County * Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County ...
. In 2019, NYSDOT selected the "community grid" alternative for reconstructing I-81 through Syracuse. Under this plan, I-81 will be rerouted to bypass Syracuse along the I-481 alignment while the section of I-81 through Syracuse will be designated as a
business loop A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or t ...
of I-81. This alternative, which is expected to cost between $1.9 billion and $2.2 billion, would tear down the elevated viaduct and reconstruct Almond Street as an at-grade
boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway or wide road in a commercial district. In Europe, boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former ...
. Also as a part of this project, both of the interchanges between I-81 and I-481 would be reconstructed to allow I-481 to be converted to I-81. Construction was expected to start in mid-2020 and take five years to complete. However, in May 2021, Governor
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...
announced the project would not commence until the following year. At this time, the New York state government allocated $800 million to the "community grid" plan. In preparation for the reconstruction/relocation of I-81 around Syracuse, the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway A highway is any public or private road ...
(AASHTO), at its annual Spring Meeting in May 2021, conditionally approved 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 Business (I-81 Bus), pending concurrence from the
Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
(FHWA). NYSDOT will renumber I-81 exits from
sequential In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is call ...
to mile-based along its entire length following the rerouting of I-81 around Syracuse. The process of demolishing I-81 in Syracuse began in 2023. Some local residents worried the removal would accelerate gentrification, while business owners in varying locations worried about a loss of revenue from the changes to vehicle traffic patterns. Court challenges to the removal produced only temporary delays. A concurrency with
I-86 Interstate 86 may refer to any of three unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York) * Interstate 86 (Idaho) * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an In ...
is set to be eventually addition to the portion between exit 8 and exit 14.


Exit list

All exits in New York formerly used sequential numbering. The New York State Department of Transportation has begun replacing the numbers with mile numbering.


See also

* *


References


External links


The I-81 Challenge website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 081 In New York 81 New York Transportation in Broome County, New York Transportation in Cortland County, New York Transportation in Onondaga County, New York Transportation in Oswego County, New York Transportation in Jefferson County, New York Transportation in Syracuse, New York Central New York