It's a vital highway that links the north to the south, from Canada to Tenessee.

"It is a major artery bringing that traffic, commerce and tourism along that route all the way," said town of Clay Supervisor Damian Ulatowski.

But the current plan to rebuild Interstate-81 isn't sitting well with local leaders.

"I think what we're faced with by looking at a community grid is clogging that major artery through the city of Syracuse," said Ulatowski.

Traffic and pollution are some of the major concerns the Onondaga County mayors and supervisors associations are worried about as well as the economic impact.

"We have 15 hotels, 41 restaurants, nine fueling stations, including one major truck stop,” said town of Salina Supervisor Colleen A. Gunnip. “The impact that our businesses have said are 30-percent loss of income as a result of this which was demonstrated in the loss of traffic."

It’s a shortfall local leaders are trying to avoid, so they are sending a resolution to Governor Cuomo and Congress asking for a consensus solution.

"The way I look at it there is rebuilding the viaduct in its current orientation to modern standards, there's a depressed highway that could be considered, there's an iconic bridge that could be considered," said Ulatowski.

"I-81 needs to continue,” said town of Cicero Supervisor Mark Venesky. “If we're going to rebuild the lousiest economy, one of the lousiest in the country, we need to make it easy for people to do busy with us. We can control our own destiny here by continuing an avenue where truckers and goods can move back and forth."

Leaders say it all starts with a dialogue, and they hope to have one soon with the Department of Transportation.