Bridge Alignment Settled by Leaders (Aired Jan. 27, 2006)
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Hopes for a signature bridge to replace the current I-90 innerbelt bridge were squashed last week. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton has the report.

Last week at a meeting between Ohio Department of Transportation Director George Proctor, city leaders and citizens, it was agreed that Cleveland will drop the idea of a bridge south of Jacobs Field to open up development. The city will instead support ODOT's preferred plan to build two bridges taking traffic back and forth over the Cuyahoga River.

Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman says this allows the City to focus its energy on the bigger fight - where cars will access the highway and midtown. It's these decisions Cimperman thinks will impact the Cleveland's ecomony the most. He says this is where negotiations with ODOT broke down.

Joe Cimperman: We just left completely in disagreement. It was about a five hour meeting. But again I appreciate it because we understand each other fully now. There's no more fog.

Cimperman says ODOT needs a letter from Mayor Jackson confirming the consensus reached on the location of the second inner belt bridge. But he says Jackson won't write the letter until the city and ODOT agrees on where the access ramps will go.

Lisa Ann Pinkerton, 90.3.