“Progress” on 81 Tear Down Plan

At a news conference on Wednesday, Common Councilor-at-Large Van Robinson announced there has been progress in his plan to tear down a section of Interstate 81. Robinson says 19 engineering and consulting firms have already bid to run a study on what to do about 81. He says something needs to be done urgently. “This highway is at the end of its life expectancy,” he says, “so we have no alternatives”. Robinson says there is no official quote for how much his willed project will cost. But he estimates it will be around $2 billion. But no matter what the cost, Robinson says the federal government will pay for 80 percent and the state, the remaining 20. But who will foot the bill seems like an issue that won’t need to be dealt with for quite some time. Companies have until August 5th to submit their bid proposals, and once one is chosen 30-60 days after that, it could take up to 2 years until they determine if the project is even feasible.