Interstate 481
Encyclopedia
Interstate 481 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York
, in the United States
. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville
, DeWitt, and Cicero
before rejoining I-81 in the suburb of North Syracuse
. After crossing I-81 in North Syracuse, I-481 continues northwest to Fulton
and Oswego
as NY 481
. I-481 is part of the Veterans Memorial Highway
, which extends northward onto NY 481.
. It proceeds eastward alongside the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
for 2 miles (3.2 km) before traveling between Clark Reservation State Park
and the Drumlins Golf Club. From here, the superhighway turns northeast while traveling near the Butternut Creek Golf Course. It meets Jamesville Road at exit 2 before intersecting with the concurrent
routes of NY 5
and NY 92
at exit 3 in the DeWitt hamlet of Lyndon. A full cloverleaf interchange
is offered, allowing traffic separate entrance and exit ramps in each direction so there are no left turns.
Continuing north, the freeway passes alongside the west end of Old Erie Canal State Park as it connects to the eastern terminus of Interstate 690 at exit 4. The interchange features left-side exit and entrance ramps between I-481 northbound and I-690. There are also some extraneous exit and entrance ramps here, as I-690 was originally slated to continue east beyond this point. Just north of I-690, I-481 passes over both NY 290
and the west end of the CSX Transportation
-owned DeWitt Yard. A cloverleaf interchange with Kirkville Road (exit 5) is next, followed by a trumpet interchange (exit 6) to provide access to the New York State Thruway
(I-90).
Past the Thruway, a parclo interchange
with NY 298
(exit 7) provides access to the northeastern part of the town of DeWitt and some nearby office parks. As the highway enters the town of Cicero
, it makes a wide, sweeping turn westward, connecting to Northern Boulevard at exit 8 before it once again meets I-81 at exit 9 in North Syracuse
. While the Interstate Highway designation ends here, the limited-access highway continues onward in a northwesterly direction toward Fulton
and Oswego
as NY 481
.
. From the New York State Thruway
(I-90) in DeWitt southwest to I-81 in the south end of Syracuse, the highway was originally designated as I-281. North of the Thruway, modern I-481 was initially part of "Relocated Route 57", a proposed limited-access highway extending from NY 57
in Fulton
to the Thruway in DeWitt via North Syracuse
. All of I-281 and the segment of Relocated Route 57 east of I-81 in North Syracuse were redesignated as I-481 on January 1, 1970. It is probable that the number was changed to avoid confusion with NY 281
, a highway that parallels I-81 some miles south of Syracuse.
The first section of the highway to be built was the piece between Jamesville Road and NY 5
. Work on this portion of the freeway began ca. 1963 and was completed and opened to traffic by 1965. Construction of I-281, and later I-481, initially progressed northward from NY 5. The segment between Lyndon and I-690
was opened to traffic in the early 1970s, while the piece between I-690 and the Thruway was completed by 1977. 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. The last portion of the route from the Thruway to I-81 in North Syracuse was completed south of NY 298
by 1985 and finished by 1990.
|rowspan=2|Syracuse
|0.00
|
|
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|
|1
|Brighton Avenue
|Northbound access via Rock Cut Road
|-
|rowspan=6|DeWitt
|3.33
|2
|Jamesville Road – Jamesville
|
|-
|5.14
|3E-W
|
|
|-
|6.40
|4
|
|Eastern terminus of I-690
|-
|8.32
|5E-W
|Kirkville Road
|
|-
|9.45
|6
|
|Exit 34A on the Thruway
|-
|10.20
|7
|
|
|-
|Cicero
|13.48
|8
|Northern Boulevard
|
|-
|rowspan=2|North Syracuse
|rowspan=2|15.08
|9N-S
|
|Exit 29N-S on I-81
|-
|
|
|Continuation beyond I-81
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jamesville
Jamesville, New York
Jamesville is a hamlet in De Witt, Onondaga County, New York, United States, part of the greater Syracuse area.The history of the community is documented in the book Water, Wheels and Stone: Heritage of the Little Village by the Creek, Jamesville, New York, written by Jean Schutz Keough, and...
, DeWitt, and Cicero
Cicero, New York
Cicero is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population was 27,982 at the 2000 census. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman....
before rejoining I-81 in the suburb of North Syracuse
North Syracuse, New York
North Syracuse is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,863 at the 2000 census.The Village of North Syracuse is partly in the Town of Cicero, but is primarily within the Town of Clay. North Syracuse is north of the City of Syracuse.- History :The village was...
. After crossing I-81 in North Syracuse, I-481 continues northwest to Fulton
Fulton, Oswego County, New York
Fulton is a small city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2000 census. The city is named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.The city of Fulton is located in the western part of the county....
and Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
as NY 481
New York State Route 481
New York State Route 481 is a state highway in Central New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with Interstate 81 in North Syracuse, where the highway continues southeastward as I-481. Its northern terminus is located at an intersection...
. I-481 is part of the Veterans Memorial Highway
Veterans Memorial Highway
-Canada:*Alberta Highway 36*Ontario Highway 416*Ontario Highway 420 *Part of Saskatchewan Highway 2 -United States:*Interstate 15 in Arizona and Interstate 15 in Utah*Part of Interstate 476*U.S...
, which extends northward onto NY 481.
Route description
Interstate 481 begins at a directional T interchange with I-81 in the southern portion of the city of SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. It proceeds eastward alongside the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
for 2 miles (3.2 km) before traveling between Clark Reservation State Park
Clark Reservation State Park
Clark Reservation State Park is a state park in Onondaga County, New York. The park is in the Town of DeWitt, south of Syracuse. It was the site of a large waterfall at the end of the last Ice Age; the plunge basin at the base of the old falls is now a small lake...
and the Drumlins Golf Club. From here, the superhighway turns northeast while traveling near the Butternut Creek Golf Course. It meets Jamesville Road at exit 2 before intersecting with the concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
routes of NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
and NY 92
New York State Route 92
New York State Route 92 is a state highway located in central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 11 in downtown Syracuse. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with US 20 west of the village of Cazenovia...
at exit 3 in the DeWitt hamlet of Lyndon. A full cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
is offered, allowing traffic separate entrance and exit ramps in each direction so there are no left turns.
Continuing north, the freeway passes alongside the west end of Old Erie Canal State Park as it connects to the eastern terminus of Interstate 690 at exit 4. The interchange features left-side exit and entrance ramps between I-481 northbound and I-690. There are also some extraneous exit and entrance ramps here, as I-690 was originally slated to continue east beyond this point. Just north of I-690, I-481 passes over both NY 290
New York State Route 290
New York State Route 290 is a state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, extending from downtown Syracuse to the east side of the county...
and the west end of the CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
-owned DeWitt Yard. A cloverleaf interchange with Kirkville Road (exit 5) is next, followed by a trumpet interchange (exit 6) to provide access to the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(I-90).
Past the Thruway, a parclo interchange
Parclo interchange
A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
with NY 298
New York State Route 298
New York State Route 298 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a generally northeast direction for from an interchange with Interstate 690 in the city of Syracuse to an intersection with NY 31 near the...
(exit 7) provides access to the northeastern part of the town of DeWitt and some nearby office parks. As the highway enters the town of Cicero
Cicero, New York
Cicero is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population was 27,982 at the 2000 census. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman....
, it makes a wide, sweeping turn westward, connecting to Northern Boulevard at exit 8 before it once again meets I-81 at exit 9 in North Syracuse
North Syracuse, New York
North Syracuse is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,863 at the 2000 census.The Village of North Syracuse is partly in the Town of Cicero, but is primarily within the Town of Clay. North Syracuse is north of the City of Syracuse.- History :The village was...
. While the Interstate Highway designation ends here, the limited-access highway continues onward in a northwesterly direction toward Fulton
Fulton, Oswego County, New York
Fulton is a small city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2000 census. The city is named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.The city of Fulton is located in the western part of the county....
and Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
as NY 481
New York State Route 481
New York State Route 481 is a state highway in Central New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with Interstate 81 in North Syracuse, where the highway continues southeastward as I-481. Its northern terminus is located at an intersection...
.
History
What is now I-481 was originally proposed as parts of two separate highways bypassing the city of SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. From the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(I-90) in DeWitt southwest to I-81 in the south end of Syracuse, the highway was originally designated as I-281. North of the Thruway, modern I-481 was initially part of "Relocated Route 57", a proposed limited-access highway extending from NY 57
New York State Route 57
New York State Route 57 was a major north–south state highway in Central New York, connecting downtown Syracuse to the Lake Ontario shoreline in Oswego. The southern terminus of the route was at U.S. Route 11 in Syracuse just north of downtown and a short distance east of Lake...
in Fulton
Fulton, Oswego County, New York
Fulton is a small city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2000 census. The city is named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.The city of Fulton is located in the western part of the county....
to the Thruway in DeWitt via North Syracuse
North Syracuse, New York
North Syracuse is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,863 at the 2000 census.The Village of North Syracuse is partly in the Town of Cicero, but is primarily within the Town of Clay. North Syracuse is north of the City of Syracuse.- History :The village was...
. All of I-281 and the segment of Relocated Route 57 east of I-81 in North Syracuse were redesignated as I-481 on January 1, 1970. It is probable that the number was changed to avoid confusion with NY 281
New York State Route 281
New York State Route 281 is a north–south state highway in central New York, United States. It extends for across Cortland and Onondaga Counties. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 13 in the town of Cortlandville. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
, a highway that parallels I-81 some miles south of Syracuse.
The first section of the highway to be built was the piece between Jamesville Road and NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
. Work on this portion of the freeway began ca. 1963 and was completed and opened to traffic by 1965. Construction of I-281, and later I-481, initially progressed northward from NY 5. The segment between Lyndon and I-690
Interstate 690
Interstate 690 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is a spur of I-90 that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in Van Buren to I-481 in DeWitt...
was opened to traffic in the early 1970s, while the piece between I-690 and the Thruway was completed by 1977. 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. The last portion of the route from the Thruway to I-81 in North Syracuse was completed south of NY 298
New York State Route 298
New York State Route 298 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a generally northeast direction for from an interchange with Interstate 690 in the city of Syracuse to an intersection with NY 31 near the...
by 1985 and finished by 1990.
Exit list
|-|rowspan=2|Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
|0.00
|
|
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|
|1
|Brighton Avenue
|Northbound access via Rock Cut Road
|-
|rowspan=6|DeWitt
|3.33
|2
|Jamesville Road – Jamesville
Jamesville, New York
Jamesville is a hamlet in De Witt, Onondaga County, New York, United States, part of the greater Syracuse area.The history of the community is documented in the book Water, Wheels and Stone: Heritage of the Little Village by the Creek, Jamesville, New York, written by Jean Schutz Keough, and...
|
|-
|5.14
|3E-W
|
|
|-
|6.40
|4
|
|Eastern terminus of I-690
|-
|8.32
|5E-W
|Kirkville Road
|
|-
|9.45
|6
|
|Exit 34A on the Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
|-
|10.20
|7
|
|
|-
|Cicero
Cicero, New York
Cicero is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population was 27,982 at the 2000 census. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman....
|13.48
|8
|Northern Boulevard
|
|-
|rowspan=2|North Syracuse
North Syracuse, New York
North Syracuse is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,863 at the 2000 census.The Village of North Syracuse is partly in the Town of Cicero, but is primarily within the Town of Clay. North Syracuse is north of the City of Syracuse.- History :The village was...
|rowspan=2|15.08
|9N-S
|
|Exit 29N-S on I-81
|-
|
|
|Continuation beyond I-81
See also
- New York State Route 481 for exits 10 through 14