Central New York Forward

Welcome to the Central New York Forward Project

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is advancing Central New York Forward, a transportation project in the Towns of Cicero and Clay, New York. The project will evaluate ways to make travel safer, more efficient, and more accessible for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users along key regional roadways.

The intent of Central New York Forward is to address current and future transportation needs within the project area. The project limits include:

• NYS Route 31 between Oswego Road (County Route 57) and South Bay Road (County Route 208)
• U.S. Route 11 between Mud Mill Road (County Route 17) and Factory Street
• Interstate 81 (I-81) between the Bartell Road Interchange and Exit 96/Business Loop (BL-81)
• NYS Route 481 between its interchanges with NYS Route 31 and U.S. Route 11

As the project has the potential to influence the environment, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared in accordance with state and federal requirements. Community and stakeholder input are essential parts of this process, and NYSDOT remains committed to ongoing public engagement as the project moves forward.

Environmental Review Process

The EIS process is formally started with the publication of a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS. NYSDOT, in coordination with FHWA, issued the NOI for this project in July 2026, followed by a public comment period. The NOI and accompanying NOI Additional Project Information document are available here.

An EIS scoping process is conducted to identify key issues and a reasonable range of alternatives for study in the EIS. A Project Scoping Report will be prepared that documents the scoping process.

The Draft EIS will evaluate the social, economic and environmental effects of the range of alternatives for the project. A public comment period and public hearing will follow the release of the Draft EIS. Upon consideration of comments received, the NYSDOT and FHWA will prepare a Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD documents the final decision for the project, including the selected alternative and project commitments, and concludes the EIS process.

Preliminary Project Schedule

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