Canceled Cleveland Freeways
Stephen A. Hill
From my 1968 official Cuyahog County map, here are all of the proposed
freeways in the Cleveland area that never got built.
Parma Freeway:
Extending south from the West Shoreway near W. 50th St.;
Interchange with Northwest Frwy (I-90) around W. 58th St.;
Interchange with Media Frwy (I-71) around Ridge Rd. (partially
completed);
Interchange with Outerbelt South (I-80) west of Ridge Rd;
Ending at State Rd. (OH 94) near Sprague Rd.
Heights Freeway:
Extending east from Innerbelt near East Shorway (deadman's curve);
Generally parallels Superior Ave. to East Cleveland;
Then parallels Euclid Ave. to near Euclid and Taylor Rd.;
Then east running between Monticello Blvd. and Highland Rd.;
Interchange with Outerbelt East (I-271, I-290) just north of Wilson
Mills Road exit;
Continuing east as relocated US 6.
Central Freeway:
Extending east from Innerbelt (I-90) near Prospect Ave.;
Running eastward between Carnegie Ave. and Central Ave.;
Interchange with Bedford Frwy southwest of University Circle;
Extending eastward through Cleveland Heights between Cedar Rd. and
Fairmount Blvd.;
Ending at an interchange with Lee Freeway near Cedar Rd. and Lee Rd.
Bedford Freeway:
Extending south from Heights Frwy near Superior and Liberty
(now-MLK) Blvd.;
Running just west of E. 105th St. to interchange with Central Frwy
southwest of University Circle;
Interchange with Clark Frwy (I-290) near Buckeye Rd. and Woodhill
Rd.;
Running just west of Woodhill Rd. to Broadway and Miles Rd. and
Warner Rd.
Running southeastward southwest of Broadway (right through Garfield
Park!);
Connecting with the Outerbelt South interchange at Broadway (which
was actually built).
Lee Freeway:
Extending south from Lakeland Frwy (I-90) near Nottingham Rd and E.
185th St.;
Interchange with Heights Frwy near Noble Rd. just southwest of Nela
Park;
Interchange with Central Frwy near Cedar Rd. and Lee Rd.;
Interchange with Clark Frwy (I-290) near South Park and West Park
(in the middle of Shaker Lakes park in Shaker Heights);
Ending at the Broadway interchange with the Outerbelt South.
Clark Freeway (I-290):
All of present I-490 was proposed as I-290;
Extending east from the existing interchange at I-77 which presently
ends at E. 55th St.;
Extending just north of Shaker Square and north of Shaker Blvd.
through the Shaker Lakes;
At Warrensville Road, extending through the wide median of Shaker
Blvd. (with the Green Line rapid transit presumably running in the
median of the freeway);
Ending at the Outerbelt East (I-271) at an interchange at Shaker
Boulevard.
Interestingly, the only freeway on the west side not built was the
Parma Frwy. There was no freeway proposed on the far west side that
would have completed the outerbelt around Cleveland, e.g., no freeway
around Columbia Road or Crocker/Bassett/Sterns Rds.
Other than the Clark Frwy, none of the proposed freeways have any
Interstate or state or U.S. route markings. (Even the Jennings Frwy.,
which is another freeway marked as proposed, does not have a route
marking on it.)
Steve Hill
An Ohio Highways Person
Nick DeCenzo
A couple of things
1. There IS a proposed freeway to complete the "beltway" around
Cleveland, except its a few miles further west than Steve thought about.
Relocated OH 83 would extend from an interchange with Route 10 to an
Interchange with the Turnpike (between 8 and 9), then interchange with
I-90 at about the same location that OH 83 currently does (exit 153),
then continue north and end at US 6 in Avon Lake. This freeway is still
currently proposed, i.e. there is a chance it could be built. However,
considering ODOT's budget, it's probably not a great chance. Estimated
cost to construct this freeway is approx $30 million.
2. When it opens later this year, the Jennings Freeway will receive
OH 176 as it's designation.
Steve, you've got to send me a copy of this map! I've always thought
that there was something fishy about the Broadway interchange of I-480
Nick DeCenzo
The Other Ohio Highways Guy
Marc Fannin
In article <357613A9...@po.cwru.edu>,
Nick DeCenzo <ne...@po.cwru.edu> wrote:
> Steve, you've got to send me a copy of this map! I've always thought
> that there was something fishy about the Broadway interchange of I-480
A clue is found on the 480 signs between I-271 and Broadway (OH 14). They all
say "(480) space WEST" . I thought the space was for US 422 and was going to
be filled when the 422 freeway was completed in Geauga County. Since 422
ultimately was not rerouted onto I-480, the space must have been for a route
on the never-built freeway. (BTW, 422 and 480 sort of bump now -- I say "sort
of" due to the interchange complex design there.)
> Nick DeCenzo
> The Other Ohio Highways Guy
Argh! There are so many of us! Although my road-geekiness unmistakably has
its foundation in Michigan.
Marc Fannin
musx...@kent.edu
http://www.personal.kent.edu/~musxf579/home.html
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suom...@aol.com
In article <6l77ri$kk3$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
musx...@kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:
>
> In article <357613A9...@po.cwru.edu>,
> Nick DeCenzo <ne...@po.cwru.edu> wrote:
>
> > Steve, you've got to send me a copy of this map! I've always thought
> > that there was something fishy about the Broadway interchange of I-480
>
> A clue is found on the 480 signs between I-271 and Broadway (OH 14). They all
> say "(480) space WEST" . I thought the space was for US 422 and was going to
> be filled when the 422 freeway was completed in Geauga County. Since 422
> ultimately was not rerouted onto I-480, the space must have been for a route
> on the never-built freeway. (BTW, 422 and 480 sort of bump now -- I say "sort
> of" due to the interchange complex design there.)
>
> > Nick DeCenzo
> > The Other Ohio Highways Guy
>
After the residents of Shaker Hights killed the proposal to run I-290
(I-490) through the Shaker Lakes and along Shaker Blvd, in the median of the
road and on to I-271 another plan was hatched to route I-290 (I-490) south
from E 55th St. just south of Kinsman Rd. to around Corlett Ave. and then
south to hook up with I-480 at Broadway. Because this would have passed
through a densely settled and largely African American community, who did not
want the freeway any more then the people of Shaker Hights did, and as Carl
Stokes became Mayor of Cleveland just as the freeway was being proposed,
this freeway proposal also died very quickly.
But not quick enough for ODOT to delete it from it's design for I-480.
ODOT has a habit of using decades old plans for it's new construction.
There is no reason why I-480 should narrow from 4 lanes to 3 at the Broadway
exit. Even ODOT'S new construction calls up the ghosts of long dead freeways.
Suom...@aol.com.
long live I-11 ; -)
Stephen A. Hill
musx...@kent.edu (Marc Fannin) wrote:
>A clue is found on the 480 signs between I-271 and Broadway (OH 14). They all
>say "(480) space WEST" . I thought the space was for US 422 and was going to
>be filled when the 422 freeway was completed in Geauga County. Since 422
>ultimately was not rerouted onto I-480, the space must have been for a route
>on the never-built freeway. (BTW, 422 and 480 sort of bump now -- I say "sort
>of" due to the interchange complex design there.)
The space on this sign WAS to be filled in with a "422" shield. You
could tell this from the similar arrangement of other signs around the
I-480/I-271 interchange (which have all now been replaced with the
construction there.) Relocated US 422 was to travel west on I-480 to
the Broadway interchange and then multiplex with OH 14 to downtown.
This would have meant that either Chagrin Blvd. or Shaker Blvd.
(OH 87) would have been decommissioned as a state highway in Shaker
Heights, with the resulting loss of state funding to Shaker Heights
for highway maintenance. Shaker Heights raised a stink, so now US 422
is routed up I-271 to the Chagrin Blvd. interchange.
guly...@osu.edu
In article <35780edf...@news.multiverse.com>,
ODOT should of offered I-290 in exchange for moving US 422 >:-)(What!?! You
want to keep your US route money, but don't want freeway dollars!?). Maybe
that would of kept them calm (or waste their "hard earned" dollars in Lawyer
fees).
SJG
(aka Leppard)
Matthew A. Walcoff
I thought the Jennings Freeway was a reroute of the Parma Freeway. BTW,
why won't the Jennings get an interstate number? Isn't it federally
funded?
The original post is correct; the plan was for the Green Line to run in
the middle of or alongside the Clark Freeway in Shaker Heights.
I used to have a copy of the original "freeway system" plan for Cuyahoga
County, circa 1954, I got while researching an article at ODOT's Garfield
Heights office. I bet they can find it for anyone who wants to take a
look.
Matt
Ohio Roads Fan
Ohio SR 176 will be rerouted from Broadview Road from SR 17/Brookpark Road
north onto the Jennings Freeway. Although there was some federal funding,
the majority of it was from the state. The Jennings Fwy is not a reroute of
the cancelled Parma Fwy.
SR 176 will now end at I-71 by MetroHealth Medical Center instead of US 42
(Pearl Rd) by Deaconess Hospital.
Ohio Roads Fan
Matthew A. Walcoff wrote in message <6lkuvs$p...@dailyplanet.wam.umd.edu>...
je...@kent.edu
> Ending at the Outerbelt East (I-271) at an interchange at Shaker
> Boulevard.
>
> Interestingly, the only freeway on the west side not built was the
> Parma Frwy. There was no freeway proposed on the far west side that
> would have completed the outerbelt around Cleveland, e.g., no freeway
> around Columbia Road or Crocker/Bassett/Sterns Rds.
>
> Other than the Clark Frwy, none of the proposed freeways have any
> Interstate or state or U.S. route markings. (Even the Jennings Frwy.,
> which is another freeway marked as proposed, does not have a route
> marking on it.)
> An Ohio Highways Person