ODOT Releases Additional Renderings of Historic New Bridge

Cleveland’s New I-90 Innerbelt Bridge: 
ODOT Today Releases Additional Renderings of Historic New Bridge 
Walsh Construction & HNTB Ohio Inc. Awarded Historic Bridge Contract 

CLEVELAND (Tuesday, September 14, 2010) – With the contract now awarded, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is today releasing additional images of the historic new westbound Interstate 90 Innerbelt Bridge.   

The additional renderings – which show important details including scenic overlooks and proposals for a new bridge over Ontario Street – compliment the renderings provided by the design-build team which received widespread public support. 

“The Walsh proposal includes many unique elements,” said ODOT District 12 Deputy Director Bonita G. Teeuwen, P.E.  “The use of steel reflects the importance of the industry in the development of the city,” she continued. 

Last Thursday, ODOT officials in Columbus revealed the sealed price proposals from each team and combined the scores of the technical and price proposals to determine an apparent winning team. The project was awarded to Walsh Construction and designer HNTB Ohio Inc. for a total bid amount of $287.4 million. 

Walsh Construction – who was recently named the third leading transportation contractor by Engineering News-Record magazine and HNTB Corporation – named as the second leading bridge design firm in the August edition of Roads & Bridges magazine – scored high on a number of technical elements, including the look and aesthetics of the new bridge.   

The project team also proposed substantial completion of the project during the fall of 2013.  While minor operations would continue into the summer of 2014, the project would be completed nearly one full year earlier than anticipated. 

 

The Walsh-HNTB team pushed-back the pier closest to the Western Reserve Fire Museum and integrated it with the retaining wall structure along Canal Road – along with additional enhancements – opening views of the river valley (see image above).   

 

The team also took a unique approach which ends the main span just east of Ontario Street allowing for a smaller, “Gateway” bridge over Ontario Street (see image above).   

Additional images are available at www.Innerbelt.org. 

Engineers and experts from ODOT and the City teamed on a thorough process of evaluating three technical proposals for constructing the new westbound bridge.  In order to complete construction on this project faster, ODOT is using a unique design-build process in which the design and construction of the project are combined in a single contract. 

Three teams were chosen in March to compete for this historic project and each team submitted its proposals in August. Technical elements – such as schedule, safety, quality management, construction plans, community outreach and sustainability – were evaluated by the ODOT-Cleveland expert team. 

ODOT also listened to input from Cleveland-area residents on the proposed aesthetics of the new structure in each proposal.  More than 1350 people submitted comments to ODOT’s website. 

Before any major construction begins, the winning team will present Cleveland-area residents with another opportunity to provide input on the final aesthetic details through a series of public meetings. Construction is expected to begin in 2011.