The Ohio Department of Transportation has been working with the community to develop a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the Cleveland Innerbelt. This effort, which in 2004 evolved into the Cleveland Innerbelt Plan, includes rebuilding portions of Interstate 71, 77 and 90 into downtown Cleveland.
The Innerbelt Plan provides for the phased replacement of the existing Central Viaduct (Innerbelt Bridge) through the construction of a new westbound bridge to the north of the existing bridge, followed by the construction of a new eastbound bridge on essentially the same alignment as the existing bridge. The Plan improves safety by realigning I-90 through the Innerbelt Curve to reduce the severity of the curve and by braiding or consolidating ramps within the Innerbelt Trench to minimize conflicts between vehicles entering and exiting the highway.
The Plan will also reduce daily recurring congestion caused by inadequate spacing between consecutive ramps, inadequate acceleration lengths on individual ramps and by adding limited capacity to relieve existing bottlenecks. The Plan maintains access through the construction of a new pair of one-way frontage roads connecting Carnegie Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Euclid Avenue and Chester Avenue.
Since 2004, ODOT and its consultant team have been working on preliminary engineering and environmental studies for several of the Plan components. On September 18, 2009 the Federal Highway Administration issued a "Record of Decision" for the project allowing ODOT to proceed with plans using federal dollars.