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.
In October 2014, state transportation officials agreed to maintain access to Cleveland’s MidTown corridor during the complete reconstruction of the city’s Innerbelt. The decision was made following requests from the local community and legislators to take MidTown access into consideration.
ODOT proposed a unique “on-structure” intersection – an elevated intersection above interstate 90 – in order to maintain access to the MidTown Health and Technology Corridor via Carnegie Avenue on Cleveland’s near-east side.
The improved MidTown access and “on-structure” intersection would look somewhat similar to the West Goodale Street and Park Street intersection, over interstate 670 in the city of Columbus. ODOT will continue to work with its stakeholders regarding the aesthetic look and feel of the newly created area.
The estimated cost of the improvement is roughly $20 million dollars. Once funding is identified, construction of this portion of the Innerbelt Plan could begin as early as 2017.
This plan was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in October 2015. For more info, click here.