Syracuse Common Councilor Van Robinson is the man leading the effort to tear down interstate 81. Robinson said the entire construction process will cost around two billion dollars. He says that the federal government will pay for 80 percent of the project and the state will pay for 20. "No in fact the department of transportation says they can not give you a dollar figure until they know exactly what they're doing. They don't want to commit themselves," said Robinson when asked about an exact price.
Nineteen companies have given bids to run a study on the effects of removing I-81. The council will be accepting proposals until August fifth. Once a proposal is chosen the study could take around two years to finish. Robinson says he hopes to have I-81 gone by 2015. Robinson expects the removal of the highway would bring a big economic boost to the city of Syracuse.
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