The amount of development along the freeway slowly increases as it heads north through the county. In La Fayette, I-81 meets with US 20, one of a handful of east–west roads spanning the width of the state. Continuing on, I-81 and US 11 pass east of the Onondaga Indian Reservation, connecting once again at exit 16 before entering the city of Syracuse. At this point, the forests that had lined both roads give way to the dense residential neighborhoods that comprise the city's southern half. Roughly south of downtown Syracuse, I-81 meets with I-481, an alternate route of I-81 bypassing the city to the east. I-81 itself proceeds due north toward downtown on an embankment, running alongside the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) and passing adjacent to Oakwood Cemetery. The surrounding area transitions from mostly residential to mostly commercial at the north edge of the cemetery, where I-81 passes west of the campuses of Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF.