I-481 functioned as the eastern half of what would be a beltway around Syracuse and as a bypass for through traffic around downtown Syracuse. NY 481 is a freeway/divided highway connecting Syracuse to Fulton and Oswego. The road was proposed as two separate highways: the portion south of the Thruway as I-281, and NY 481 as a relocation of NY 57 (which has since been decomissioned but is signed as CR 57). In 2024, construction began to move I-81 onto I-481 to facilitate the removal of the downtown viaduct.
| Mile | Northbound | Southbound | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga County | |||
| Speed Limit 65 | |||
| 0.0 | ![]() |
Binghamton |
|
| 0.3 | Exit 1A Watertown |
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| 0.3 | Exit 1A Syracuse |
Exit 1B Syracuse |
|
| 1.0 | Exit 1B Circle Drive North Syracuse |
Exit 1C North Syracuse |
|
| 2.9 | Exit 2 Caughdenoy Road Maple Road |
No return to NY 481 from this exit | |
| 7.3 | Exit 7 Baldwinsville Cicero |
||
| Oswego County | Onondaga County | ||
| 11.0 | Exit 11 Phoenix |
||
| 13.4 | Exit 13 Phoenix Mexico |
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| Speed Limit 35 | Speed Limit 65 | ||
| 19.8 | ![]() |
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At-grade intersection |
| Speed Limit 35 | |||
| Oswego County | |||
Historical
This list depicts I-481 and NY 481 as they existed prior to the start of construction in 2024 to move I-81 onto I-481.
| Mile | Northbound | Southbound | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga County | |||
| Speed Limit 65 | |||
| 0.0 | ![]() |
Left Binghamton |
|
| 0.0 | Syracuse |
||
| 0.1 | Exit 1 Brighton Avenue |
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| 0.9 | Exit 1 Brighton Avenue Rock Cut Road |
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| 3.2 | Exit 2 Jamesville Road Jamesville |
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| 5.1 | Exit 3E Fayetteville |
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| 5.1 | Exit 3W DeWitt |
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| 6.7 | Left Exit 4 Syracuse Fairgrounds |
Exit 4 Syracuse Fairgrounds |
|
| 8.3 | Exit 5E Kirkville Road East |
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| 8.3 | Exit 5W Kirkville Road West |
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| 9.7 | Exit 6 Thruway |
Exit 6 Albany Buffalo |
|
| 10.2 | Exit 7 Bridgeport |
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| 13.5 | Exit 8 Northern Boulevard |
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| 15.0 | Exit 9N Watertown |
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| 15.0 | Exit 9S Syracuse |
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| 15.8 | Exit 10 Circle Drive North Syracuse |
Exit 10 North Syracuse |
|
| 17.7 | Exit 11 Caughdenoy Road Maple Road |
No return to NY 481 from this exit | |
| 22.1 | Exit 12 Baldwinsville Cicero |
||
| Oswego County | Onondaga County | ||
| 25.8 | Exit 13 Phoenix |
||
| 28.2 | Exit 14 Phoenix Mexico |
||
| Speed Limit 35 | Speed Limit 65 | ||
| 34.6 | ![]() |
![]() |
At-grade intersection |
| Speed Limit 35 | |||
| Oswego County | |||





