Innerbelt News Update: "Innerbelt plan aims to ease traffic congestion"

From Yahoo News:

Innerbelt plan aims to ease traffic congestion

By ContributorNetwork – Tue Mar 22, 11:41 am ET

Bruce Geiselman, Yahoo! Contributor Network

The Innerbelt Bridge project, which is beginning this spring, is part of a larger plan that eventually will help reduce traffic bottlenecks near Downtown Cleveland, according to state transportation officials.

The Innerbelt Bridge replacement is the first phase of a freeway improvement plan that could take decades to complete. The entire plan involves improving entrance and exit ramps to reduce congestion along the Innerbelt Freeway, and reducing the angle of Deadman's Curve.

The Ohio Department of Transportation first will build two new bridges over the Cuyahoga River - one eastbound and one westbound. The bridge replacement project won't be completed until 2016.

Federal transportation stimulus funds will help replace the existing 50-year-old bridge after inspections revealed that steel members were aging faster than expected. While the work will address safety issues, it will also help improve traffic flow along Interstate 90, said Joel Hunt, an ODOT spokesman.

Four of the 10 areas in Metropolitan Cleveland most prone to traffic bottlenecks are along Interstate 90 within a few miles of the Innerbelt Bridge, Hunt said, referencing recent traffic data.

The traffic data indicates that I-90 westbound near Chester Avenue is the area most prone to traffic bottlenecks in Greater Cleveland. The data showed that an area of approximately one-quarter mile near the exit is congested an average of 17 hours per week with an average traffic speed during congestion of 15.9 miles per hour.

The second most congested area is also along I-90 westbound at Superior Avenue, followed by I-90 westbound at Prospect Avenue. Finally, I-90 eastbound near I-71 is ranked eighth in terms of traffic bottlenecks.

"Each of the congested areas along I-90 will be addressed as part of the Cleveland Innerbelt Plan, which will improve safety, reduce congestion and traffic delays, and modernize interstate travel along I-71, I-77 and I-90 through Downtown Cleveland," Hunt said.

Each of the two new Innerbelt bridges will result in improved traffic flow by increasing the number of lanes. Each new bridge will carry five lanes of traffic - one more than currently exists today, Hunt said.

According to a 2010 national traffic scorecard, the top 10 areas in Metropolitan Cleveland subject to traffic bottlenecks are:

1. I-90 westbound at Chester Avenue
2. I-90 westbound at Superior Avenue
3. I-90 westbound at Prospect Avenue
4. I-480 eastbound at Lee Road
5. I-71 northbound at West 14^th Street/Exit 247 south of the Innerbelt
6. I-271 southbound at US-422/Miles Road
7. I-77 northbound at East 14^th Street
8. I-90 eastbound at I-71
9. I-71 northbound at Pearl Road
10. I-480 eastbound at Broadway

While crews are working on reconstructing and widening bridges and ramps along I-90, ODOT is recommending drivers avoid the construction zones by using I-77 and I-490 as a detour.

The two interstates are being restriped to add an extra lane of traffic in each direction.

The first phase of the project - constructing the westbound bridge - will cost $287.4 million with a fall 2013 completion date. The second phase - constructing the eastbound bridge - will begin in 2014 and be completed in 2016 at an estimated cost of $320 million.

After the westbound bridge is built, both eastbound and westbound traffic will share the new bridge until the eastbound bridge is built. The old Innerbelt Bridge will be torn down.

The Innerbelt Bridge replacement project is part of a much larger, long-term plan that will also improve entrance and exit ramps onto and off of the Innerbelt Freeway. The improved ramp system will further improve traffic flow, according to the transportation department. ODOT also plans to eventually reduce the angle of Deadman's Curve in a further effort to reduce traffic congestion and accidents.

"The Innerbelt Plan, which is many, many years down the line - and we're talking decades to do all this work - will take care of all of these problems," ODOT spokeswoman Jocelynn Clemings said. "But the bridge is a good start."

Some preliminary work, including utility relocations, building demolitions and some roadway work to improve an alternate route, already is under way, Clemings said. However, ODOT is planning an official groundbreaking for April.

Content provided by Associated Content from Yahoo!

Tremont's University Road to Close as Cold Storage Building Removal Begins

I-90 Cuyahoga County 

*NEW*I-90 Innerbelt, Construction of a New Westbound Bridge, Cleveland 

Crews prepare to begin construction of a new Innerbelt Bridge which will eventually carry westbound traffic.  Beginning on Tuesday, March 1, crews will permanently close University Road between W. 14th Street and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks along the west bank of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.  University Road will be closed permanently just west of W. 14th Street and a cul-de-sac will be constructed just west of the railroad tracks.  Those motorists wishing to travel to the Tremont neighborhood will be rerouted via Scranton Road and Fairfield Avenue.  This closure coincides with the beginning of demolition of the Cleveland Cold Storage building.  Click here for more information.  

Tentative completion date: fall 2013.  **Crews on behalf of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District work to relocate an existing interceptor sewer in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.  Both Abbey Ave. between W. 12th St. and W. 13th St. and W. 11th St. between University Rd. and Abbey Ave. are closed to vehicular traffic until the summer of 2011.  

In addition, W. 14th St., just south of Fairfield Ave., is restricted until mid-May 2011.  For more information, please contact NEORSD at 216.881.6600.

Please exercise caution in work zones.  For statewide construction information visit: www.BuckeyeTraffic.org 
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For more information, log-on to Innerbelt.org or dial the Project Hotline at 216.344.0069.

New Innerbelt Bridge Staaaaartssssss............ NOW!

From cleveland.com:

Work on new Inner Belt Bridge in Cleveland set to begin this week

Published: Wednesday, February 02, 2011, 5:30 AM     Updated: Wednesday, February 02, 2011, 9:42 AM

 By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer

View full sizeODOT PhotoWhen it's completed, the new Inner Belt Bridge in Cleveland will be named in honor of former mayor and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nearly seven years in the planning, the Herculean task of building a new Inner Belt Bridge over the Cuyahoga River valley is about to begin.

Crews this week will start to prepare three buildings south of Progressive Field for demolition as part of a$287.4 million project that will be the largest of its kind in Ohio history.

Tear-downs and ramp closings will unfold in February and March, launching the three-year construction of a new Interstate 90 span. When that bridge is built, the existing I-90 viaduct will be torn down and replaced by another new bridge, scheduled to open in 2016, ODOT says.

The first new bridge will eventually carry westbound traffic, and the second one will carry traffic going east.

"The demolition of those three [buildings] will be the first thing that happens," Craig Hebebrand, ODOT's project manager, said in an interview this week.

Work this year will focus on preparing opposite sides of the valley for the 4,247-foot-long bridge.

To the west, the bridge will land in Tremont, right where the vacant, hulking Cleveland Cold Storage building stands.

To the east, it will settle in the Gateway district, just north of the current Inner Belt viaduct and a short distance from Progressive Field.

The basic work of relocating utilities and clearing properties in the bridge's footprint should, by year's end, yield to the sight of the bridge's massive concrete supports sprouting from the valley floor.

The bridge's arcing, triangular steel girders should be in place by the end of 2012, with the bridge deck complete by the end of 2013, Hebebrand said this week.

That is, if all goes as planned.

ODOT says it has begun acquisition of three more properties -- the last of 49 it needs to buy and clear on both sides of the river -- to make way for the bridge.

View full size

Occupants in nine homes have been relocated. Fourteen businesses will relocate, with nine completed so far, said ODOT spokeswoman Jocelynn Clemings.

ODOT is still acquiring the Cleveland Cold Storage building, with the latest offer of $4.51 million to the building's owner, Clemings said. Demolishing the gray monolith on the Tremont bluffs will cost $3.5 million more.

"At this point, it looks like we will have acquired all the property in time," said ODOT's Hebebrand.

Not far from Cleveland Cold Storage, preparation is already taking place as the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District relocates 60-inch-wide sewer lines to make way for the bridge.

The work, which has squeezed West 14th Street traffic, will cost $8 million, said sewer district spokeswoman Jennifer Elting. ODOT will reimburse the sewer district for the work, she said. The project is scheduled to be done by June.

Motorists using interstates downtown will see and feel the bridge project's impact soon.

The East 21st Street ramp to Interstate 77 South is scheduled to close Feb. 14 and won't reopen for six years.

Closing that ramp will allow two lanes, instead of one, for drivers headed to I-77 South from I-90 West. ODOT wants to divert as much I-90 West traffic as possible to I-77 South and then to Interstate 490, to avoid bridge deck replacements and other road improvements related to the new bridge, Clemings said.

In March, crews will permanently close two ramps -- from I-77 North to I-90 West, and from I-90 East to I-77 South. The ramps aren't heavily used, Clemings said. Closing them will reduce some of the "cluttered entanglement" of ramps in the area, she said.

Dozens of workers with Walsh Construction of Chicago, the lead builder, and HNTB of Ohio Inc. the lead designing firm, have offices over Massimo's Restaurant, at West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue.

At the project's peak, some 300 workers will be planning and building the bridge, ODOT's Hebebrand said.

A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for late March or early April, depending on the weather.

Among those watching the project closely is Thomas Starinsky, associate director of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corp. He was among three dozen planning and development officials who offered suggestions for the bridge's design.

"The planning for the bridge went as long as it will take to build it," said Starinsky. "Because there was thoughtfulness in the planning and design, it'll serve the city well."

Cleveland City Planning Commission Approves Innerbelt Bridge Aesthetic Details

From ODOT-12: 

The Cleveland City Planning Commission on Friday approved the final aesthetic details of Cleveland’s new westbound I-90 Innerbelt Bridge. 

“We are very excited to have this final approval and move forward with the construction of the new bridge,” said Innerbelt Project Manager Craig Hebebrand.  “We have been working with our stakeholders for years and it’s great to see these final details become a part of the plan.”   

Members of the public who visited the project Web site, or attended a December 15 public meeting, were polled on very specific elements – including pier treatments, fence and lighting options, retaining wall materials and more – in order to determine a public preference for each specific element. 

Public preferences were then presented to the Project Stakeholder Committee, the City of Cleveland Flats-Downtown Design Review Committee and Cleveland City Planning Commission following the public meeting.  The recommendations of each committee fall in line with those of the public – with a few minor adjustments. 

The team approved an updated pier design which includes additional grooves where the girders touch-down on the piers.  This allows the eye to make a stronger connection between the two elements.  While online voters favored heavy, metal display panels near the historic Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center overlooking the river valley, the Stakeholder Committee, those attending the Public Meeting and Cleveland commissions favored the more simplistic design which eliminates the metal displays and provides a clearer view of the river valley. 

Stakeholders and commission members also suggested changes along the new extension of E. 9^th Street.  The team asked that the same fence and parapet pattern as is proposed on the Carnegie Avenue bridge over the GCRTA Rapid Transit line be used along the new E. 9^th Street extension as well.  Among other details, the bodies also asked that ODOT consider historic lighting fixtures along heavily traveled pedestrian routes in both the Tremont and Gateway neighborhoods. 

ODOT’s final decision on these comments will be made within the coming months. 

Stakeholder groups, which include prominent local advocates, have met numerous times since the spring of 2006 in order to prescribe important aesthetic elements of the new bridge including scenic overlooks, open railings, new streetscapes and revamped overpasses and ramps.  The project also includes removing a portion of the Tremont bluff to increase stability and open additional green space adjacent to the river below. 

In September, the project was awarded to Walsh Construction and designer HNTB Ohio Inc. for a total bid amount of $287.4 million.  Using the unique design-build process in which the design and construction of the project are combined in a single contract, the team will complete substantial construction of the new westbound bridge during the fall of 2013 – nearly a year earlier than originally anticipated. 

Construction is expected to begin this spring.  Log-on to Innerbelt.org for more information. 

### 

For more information contact: 

ODOT District 12 Communications Office at (216) 584-2006 or email D12.PublicInformation@dot.state.oh.us

Final Opportunity to Comment on Innerbelt Bridge Aesthetic Details

Innerbelt Bridge Aesthetic Details Public Meeting Rescheduled for December 15 
Online Comment Period Extended through Wednesday 

CLEVELAND (2:36 PM, Monday, December 13, 2010) – Due to inclement weather, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has rescheduled tonight’s public meeting to present the public with the final aesthetic details to be applied to Cleveland’s new westbound Innerbelt Bridge.  Tonight’s meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, December 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pilgrim Church Fellowship Hall, 2592 W. 14th Street, Cleveland. 
  
The online comment period has also been extended until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15 to coincide with the rescheduled Public Meeting.  ODOT began seeking comments on its Web site on December 6.  Area residents are encouraged to log-on to Innerbelt.org to submit their preferences. 

Members of the public who visit the project Web site through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, or attend the Public Meeting, will be polled on very specific elements – including pier treatments, fence and lighting options, retaining wall materials and more – in order to determine a public preference for each specific element. 

Stakeholder groups, which include prominent local advocates, have met numerous times since the spring of 2006 in order to prescribe important aesthetic elements of the new bridge including scenic overlooks, open railings, new streetscapes and revamped overpasses and ramps.  The project also includes removing a portion of the Tremont bluff to increase stability and open additional green space adjacent to the river below. 

Public preferences will be presented to the City of Cleveland following Wednesday’s Public Meeting during a series of meetings.  Members of the public are also invited to attend special meetings of the Cleveland City Planning Commission on December 17 and January 7 in order to see the final choices.  Additional details will be forthcoming and made available on Innerbelt.org. 


Please see below: 

Meeting	Date & Time	Location
Public Meeting	December 13, 2010 5-8 p.m.	Pilgrim Church Fellowship Hall 2592 W. 14th Street
Cleveland City Planning Commission Meeting	December 17, 2010 9 a.m.-Noon	Cleveland Convention Center 500 Lakeside Avenue, Room 211

In September, the project was awarded to Walsh Construction and designer HNTB Ohio Inc. for a total bid amount of $287.4 million.  Using the unique design-build process in which the design and construction of the project are combined in a single contract, the team will complete substantial construction of the new westbound bridge during the fall of 2013 – nearly a year earlier than originally anticipated.
Construction is expected to begin during the spring of 2011.  Log-on to Innerbelt.org for more information. 

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. 

Winning Team for Historic Bridge Construction Revealed

Cleveland’s New I-90 Innerbelt Bridge: 
Apparent Winning Team for Historic Bridge Construction Revealed 
Winning proposal calls for completion of construction full year earlier than planned 

CLEVELAND (Thursday, September 9, 2010) - After nearly five weeks of expert technical evaluation - combined with a review of public input and a value-based cost comparison – the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and City of Cleveland are set to award design and construction of the historic Interstate 90 Innerbelt Bridge to Walsh Construction with designer HNTB Ohio Inc.  The total bid amount for the new bridge came in at only $287,400,000. 

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. 

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 proposal also includes unique elements including the use of steel which reflects the importance of the industry in the development of the city.  The team will pursue “Greenroads” Certification and use LED lights for aesthetic, landscape and pedestrian lighting. 

The team took a unique approach which ends the main span just east of Ontario Street allowing for a smaller, “Gateway” bridge over Ontario Street and a landscaped embankment between the two bridges. Reducing the length of main viaduct in this way would reduce the amount of new materials required and increase the amount of reused materials. 

The team also pushed-back the pier closest to the Western Reserve Fire Museum and integrated it with the retaining wall structure along Canal Road opening views of the river valley. The design also includes additional art panels along Ontario and E. 9^th Streets. 

Three teams were chosen in March to compete for this historic project, with 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. 

On 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. ODOT then has up to ten days to review the “best value” proposal before awarding the contract. 

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. 

For more information, log-on to www.Innerbelt.org.