As President Joe Biden’s administration makes an effort to turn to infrastructure as his next legislative agenda item, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said Biden’s latest details on his proposed American Jobs Plan “bodes well for Syracuse.”

The White House released new information Wednesday on the president’s infrastructure proposal, which aims to fix or rebuild highways, bridges, ports, airports and transit systems, modernize the electric grid, and retrofit homes, schools, hospitals, and child care facilities in an initiative to “invest in America in a way we have not invested since we built the interstate highways and won the Space Race.”

The plan specifically referenced the Interstate 81 viaduct through the city of Syracuse.

“Too often, past transportation investments divided communities — like the Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans or I-81 in Syracuse — or it left out the people most in need of affordable transportation options,” the plan states. “The President’s plan includes $20 billion for a new program that will reconnect neighborhoods cut off by historic investments and ensure new projects increase opportunity, advance racial equity and environmental justice, and promote affordable access.”

“I’m thrilled the President is singling out Syracuse and the I-81 project as a prime opportunity for the American Jobs Plan,” Mayor Walsh said Wednesday in a statement. “$20 billion for a new program to reconnect neighborhoods, increase opportunity, and advance racial equity and environmental justice can be a game changer for this community and can help us realize the full potential of this project. The American Jobs Plan also calls for investments tied to Project Labor, Community Workforce, local hire, registered apprenticeships and other labor training programs so that federal investments support good jobs and pathways out of poverty. These initiatives directly align with our partnerships on the Syracuse Build construction jobs program and Interstate 81 Jobs Big Table local hiring initiative. Our community is working hard to be ready for the opportunities ahead for Syracuse and Central New York.”

Walsh believes the $2 billion community grid is the best option for the future of the interstate, which would tear down the 1.4-mile stretch of elevated expressway, improve existing streets in that part of the city, and reroute expressway traffic to Interstate 481 east around the city.

Walsh has been vocal for the last two months about working with the Biden administration regarding the project, saying last month that he and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg see eye to eye on the initiative. Buttigieg told Spectrum News on Tuesday that the U.S. has an opportunity to “act big” right now on infrastructure.

Earlier this month, Walsh also called on the Biden administration to overturn a ban on local hiring for federally-funded infrastructure projects, saying it could have a big impact on jobs created by the I-81 project.

The Federal Highway Administration is still reviewing the draft environmental impact statement for the community grid option at this time.