CLEVELAND – The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kokosing Construction Company announced that the full length of Opportunity Corridor Boulevard was to be open in the evening on Friday, November 12.
The full length of the Opportunity Corridor connects E. 55th St. at I-490 to E. 105th St. in University Circle. The first two sections of the Opportunity Corridor were opened in 2017 and 2018. See the full project details here.
Minor work will continue through June 2022 including striping, landscaping, bridge painting, minor asphalt work, and bridge work, which will require various lane restrictions.
The purpose of the Opportunity Corridor Project is to improve the transportation system and support planned economic development. At one time, the area of Cleveland between I-490 and University Circle was known as the “Forgotten Triangle” due to the lack of economic activity. The new 35-mph boulevard-type road includes a median, traffic signals, new pedestrian and bicycle paths, tree lawns, landscaping and new bridges.
“Transportation is about connecting people. This isn’t just an investment in asphalt, concrete, and steel, this is an investment in people, business, and opportunity,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “The Opportunity Corridor will benefit these neighborhoods and better connect northeast Ohio with University Circle and all the resources available there.”
This project created opportunities for northeast Ohioans and businesses that will continue to benefit the region for years to come.
“For too many years, these neighborhoods and those who call them home have been bypassed by opportunity. Now, we’re bringing opportunity right to their front door. For a lot of residents, this opportunity is a career, not just a job,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.
Development along the Opportunity Corridor Boulevard has already started with new businesses and existing businesses expanding. Nearly one-billion-dollars has been invested or is in development within a quarter mile of the boulevard in the last five years.
“The Opportunity Corridor gives us the opportunity to spur investments, jobs and real estate developments in neighborhoods where they otherwise wouldn’t have happened,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson.
BACKGROUND:
Section 1 reconstructed E.105th St from Quebec Avenue to north Chester Avenue for a bid amount of $20,969,780. Construction was completed in fall 2017.
Section 2 constructed a new roadway from East 93rd Street to Quebec Avenue for a bid amount of $35,328,000. Construction was completed in fall 2018.
Section 3 constructed a new roadway from I-490/East 55th Street to East 93rd Street for a bid amount of $150,858,250. Construction began in fall 2018 and all work is expected to be completed June 2022.
For more information, please visit www.OpportunityCorridor.transportation.ohio.gov.
