Inner Belt Update with Lisa Ann Pinkerton (Aired Dec. 28, 2005)
Listen to the MP3
Cleveland's inner belt is due for an overhaul. The highway system that brings commuters into and out of Cleveland is 50 years old. Much has changed in those 50 years: industry has migrated, the suburbs have grown, and Cleveland's population has shrunk. Plans are now on the drawing board to bring the system up to date to handle today's traffic patterns - and tomorrow's, as best they can be predicted. But consensus on the inner belt project seems a long way off. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton is following its progress and joins us now to help us understand just where it stands.

Bill Rice: First of all, how would you describe the inner belt now? Paint us a mental picture of just what the innerbelt currently looks like and how it functions.

Lisa Ann Pinkerton: Well, right now the Inner Belt, or I-90, travels east to west across the Cleveland Area. The Inner Belt Bridge takes traffic over the Cuyahoga river into downtown. And the Inner Belt Curve, or "Dead Man's Curve," takes traffic away along the lakefront.

The need to revamp the inner belt is two fold. One bottle necks on the bridge are common and the bridge itself is deteriorating and may only last for 20 more years. Second, "Dead Man's Curve" needs to (be) a softer turn. It goes against highway design parameters and many say it shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.

Bill Rice: Now as I understand it, everyone from the city, the county and the state is weighing in on this, and the various ideas for revamping the inner belt don't necessarily compliment each other. So let's start with city officials like Councilman Joe Cimperman, with whom you spoke. What is he on guard against?

Lisa Ann Pinkerton: Since he represents midtown neighborhoods he's very concerned that the design ODOT wants to implement isn't the best that's possible. He wants something that can promote the area and boost its future. And he's primarily concerned with the removal of midtown entrances and exits along 90. ODOT would like to spread them out to reduce congestion and accidents. But midtown businesses are built around these access points. Cimperman is very concerned that moving access to 90 will cripple the few businesses there and force them and their tax dollars out of the city.

Bill Rice: Then there's the county, which has its own idea of what the inner belt should look like.

Lisa Ann Pinkerton: Right. Paul Alsenas thinks we can build a new bridge far to the south of Jacobs Field and demolish the existing bridge. He wants a signature bridge that's "structural art" in a sense. Something people all over the world would recognize as a symbol of Cleveland. Alsenas would also trench the highway as it passes through downtown. That way he says neighborhood streets could be reconnected to the downtown grid.

Bill Rice: All this is at odds with the state - specifically the Department of Transportation, which has its own plan, and also a lot of leverage.

Lisa Ann Pinkerton: Yes, the Ohio Department of Transportation, like most DOTs around the country, wields enormous political power because of the billion dollar budgets it has access to. In Ohio, gas taxes must go to highway projects and the state legislature has no say in how that money is spent. So for Cleveland, ODOT's preferred plan is to build a new bridge right next to the existing inner belt bridge and identical to it. Cars would come in on one and go out on another. Then ODOT would replace the existing bridge in 30 years.

Bill Rice: One thing that there probably is consensus on is that the status quo is insufficient; that something needs to be done. But is there a danger that all this squabbling could derail the project altogether?

Lisa Ann Pinkerton: I don't think that's very likely. There's a lot of money at stake, this is a $860 million dollar project, with $85 million of that earmarked in a Federal Transportation bill specifically for this project. That bill is up for renewal in 2009 so ODOT must break ground before then to have access to the money.

But, city council has to pass legislation to authorize construction and both Mayor Elect Jackson and Council President-Elect Marty Sweeny have voiced their concerns about ODOT's plan as it stands now. And Councilman Cimperman says the process is moves slowly enough that differing parties should have time to come to compromises. As to prevent a take it or leave it scenario.

Bill Rice: ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton, thanks very much.