SYRACUSE -- The portion of Interstate 690 that's been shut down for weeks will finally open this afternoon.
A section of 690 westbound near the I-81 interchange has been down to one lane since June 28th due to a gaping hole found in the bridge portion of the highway.
The state Department of Transportation now tells CNY Central the hole is fixed and the lane should reopen by rush hour this afternoon.
That's good news to the ears of thousand of Central New Yorkers who will take the highway heading home to the western suburbs tonight.
The hole in 690 has been the source of traffic back-ups for weeks. The 3-foot hole popped up in the bridge deck in the left lane on the westbound side of 690 near West Street.
That spot of the bridge has been fixed before, but the bridges are old and still need work. They were building the mid to late 1960's and they're about 40 years old. Typically, bridges last about 50 years.
Crews will still need to do some work next week repairing cracking in additional joins. That will affect the right lane of 690 between Townsend and Lodi Streets. The DOT has not released the dates and times when that work will be done.
Are you pleased or disappointed by the amount of time it took to fix the hole? Has it impacted your commute? Have you seen other trouble spots that may be in need of repair? Leave your thoughts below.
