Ohio Ponders Whether To Fix Or Replace Cleveland Bridge

摘要

Ohio Dept. of Transportation officials and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson are locked in discussion over whether ODOT should close one of the city's major bridges that is rapidly deteriorating. The 5,078-ft-long Inner Belt Bridge, a cantilevered steel-truss structure similar in design to Minneapolis' Interstate 35W bridge, was scheduled for rehabilitation until recent inspections prompted the state to propose closing it and building a replacement over two years. Jackson says closing the bridge, which carries 1-90 through downtown, would choke off a needed economic lifeline. It carries nearly 120,000 cars per day. The 50-year-old bridge's problems have been known for some time. ODOT rated it as "poor" in 2006-07. After the I-35W collapse, ODOT officials performed more detailed inspections, resulting in a ban on heavy truck traffic and a $2-million contract in May 2008 to reinforce the structure, including 34 deteriorated gusset plates.