Opponents to the approved I-81 community grid project argued in a court hearing Thursday that the state Department of Transportation environmental and transportation studies were insufficient and need to be redone before the project can move forward.
The argument is part of the group's, known as Renew 81, lawsuit against the state that was brought last fall and with it led to an injuction against physical work starting on the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project.
A boulevard-style grid would replace the aging I-81 viaduct through the heart of downtown and reroute highway traffic onto the current I-481 that goes around Syracuse.
Renew 81 argues the study should take into account the upcoming Micron development in Clay that is estimated to bring 9,000 jobs to the area, and attorneys argued the state "cooked the books" on traffic estimates.
"They ignored their own rules," said Alann Knauf, an attorney for Renew 81. "They imply strict environmental requirements for town and businesses, but when their proposal results in environmental harm they glossed it over. And they've cherry-picked data and made unsupported conclusions."
The state once again defended the approved plan and its befnefits over other alternatives.
"DOT and the Federal Highway Administration looked at a reasonable range of alternatives. And after an extensive and comprehensive review by experts in their field, rationally selected, the community grid best met the projects objectives," said Meredith Lee Clark, an assistant state attorney general.
Overall, the project is expected to cost $2.5 billion.
Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri has to rule within 60 days.