SPECTRUM NEWS VIDEO: Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh discusses the importance of the city's infrastructure and the obstacles they have faced along the way. 

Water infrastructure is critical and it’s old, and while he says the water department is maintaining as best as the city can – Syracuse needs help from the federal government. Walsh says they city’s road infrastructure is in similar distress, as seen especially in the winter months with continuous water main breaks. 

When it comes to the railroad bridge sidewall that collapsed on a city road – Walsh says first and foremost he is grateful that no one was hurt. Even the infrastructure that Syracuse doesn’t own is something that the mayor’s administration has to make sure is invested in. He says they are navigating the process, and making sure that all the bridges are the safest they can be going forward. 

The Interstate 81 project is looking at a tunnel option, a street grid and rebuilding the viaduct, along with a study lingering into next year. Walsh says that Syracuse is certainly seeing an impact when it comes to delays, and unpredictable issues along the way.

In Focus is a weekly public affairs segment airing each Sunday throughout news programming, exclusively on Spectrum News.