ALBANY — As other upstate cities see efforts to remove highways that cut communities off from their waterfronts, a Capital Region state legislator is calling for New York to explore similar measures for the capital city’s barrier: Interstate 787.

Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, on Friday announced plans to introduce legislation calling for the state Department of Transportation to conduct an engineering feasibility study that would assess the replacement or modification of I-787 to provide “greater access to Albany’s waterfront and revitalize working class communities located along its route.”

Capital Region leaders and residents have long bemoaned the highway, which skirts Albany’s downtown and is primarily used by commuters shuttling in and out of the state government complex. The interstate was built around the same time the state erected what was known as the "South Mall" — now known as the Empire State Plaza — on land cleared by the demolition of thousands of properties in Albany's downtown.

“The Capital Region’s greatest asset — access to the Hudson River waterfront — has been more or less absent from communities including downtown Albany since the late 1960s and early 1970s when I-787 went up,” Fahy said in a statement. “Following announcements of the removal of several similar highways in cities throughout the state, conducting an engineering feasibility study will provide a blueprint and cost estimates for either removing or transforming I-787 into a boulevard-style roadway.”

Earlier this year, Fahy wrote an op-ed in the Times Union calling for the demolition of the highway as part of a series of similar efforts Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has touted in Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester.

Cuomo announced in September that a chunk of Buffalo's Skyway, an elevated highway on the city's waterfront, would be demolished. In Rochester, the old inner-loop highway is being removed to reconnect city neighborhoods with downtown and open areas to redevelopment. In Syracuse, the state is planning to remove the portion of Interstate 81 that runs through the city center.

Fahy said Cuomo’s recognition of the need for communities to have access to their waterfronts and the efforts being made across the state make Albany’s case stronger for similar considerations to be made.

“I’m not looking for a billion dollars here," she said in an interview. "I am looking for a serious feasibility engineering study, along with getting some cost estimates that can tell us how realistic this is."

A 2018 report from the Capital District Transportation Committee reviewed the future costs of maintaining I-787, and recommended a slew of infrastructure improvements that aimed to enhance pedestrian and bike access to Capital Region riverfronts from Green Island to Albany’s southern border.

The report estimated the cost to keep the highway in good repair over the next two decades would be over $300 million, with full replacement costs at nearly $900 million.

While the city is full steam ahead on a planned multi-million-dollar Albany Skyway, which will transform an underutilized off-ramp of I-787 into an elevated park, Fahy said she sees those plans as fitting in seamlessly with additional changes to the highway.

"I think it ties right in beautifully — that's the perfect example of creative reuse," she said. "I see them as absolutely complementing each other."

David Galin, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan's deputy chief of staff, said the mayor “supported the last study, which led to the Skyway, and she welcomes any assistance the state can provide to further the goal of reconnecting the city to our waterfront.”

Andrew Neidhardt, a city resident and leader of the advocacy group Walkable Albany, applauded Fahy’s efforts.

“Access to the waterfront has the potential to increase downtown’s beauty and accessibility for everyone,” Neidhardt said. “Reclaiming the area around I-787 for pedestrians and cyclists also has the potential to create space for more affordable housing and businesses, widening Albany’s tax base and stabilizing its budget.”

Lorenz M. Worden, president of the Albany Bicycle Coalition, said the ongoing development of the Empire State Trail — with Albany as a key juncture connecting the east-west and north-south routes — would benefit from converting I-787 to a "city street" and would "position us to welcome bicycle tourists from around the country and world.”

Fahy said she recognizes a major change to I-787 could be costly, but noted there are also costs to maintaining the status quo. She noted that federal money would be necessary to make any major changes to the interstate.

“The bottom line is even upkeep is costly. We want to make sure whatever is being spent is being spent wisely,” she said. “Reclaiming our waterfront is an economic development gold mine.”