AKRON, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced a timeframe for the $150 million project to replace the Ohio Route 8 hi-level bridge spanning the Little Cuyahoga River in Akron. Following more than a decade of planning, a project to replace the 70-year-old bridge is expected to begin in July and be complete in 2028, ODOT said in a release.
The current bridge, made of steel and painted sky blue, spans 1,500-feet and stands 180 feet above North Street, the Summit Metro Parks’ Freedom Trail, several sets of railroad tracks and the river, ODOT said. The bridge carries about 115,000 vehicles per day, moving north and south, with three lanes in each direction.
The project will comprise two new side-by-side bridges with four lanes running each way, ODOT said. With delta-style bridge piers, lighting, fencing and a unique approach feature, ODOT said the new bridge is designed to ensure it is “a prominent community feature" for many years.
Route 8 traffic is expected to be maintained throughout the project, as the existing bridge will remain standing while a new bridge is built on the west side of the highway.
Some short-term ramp closures might take place at the Perkins Street and Glenwood Avenue interchanges, ODOT said. Once the new west bridge is built, all six lanes of Route 8 traffic will be redirected there.
The old bridge then will be taken down while the second new bridge is built where it stood.
Under the new configuration, the entrance ramp at Perkins Street going north will extend all the way across the bridge and become the exit ramp at Glenwood Avenue, ODOT said.
The entrance ramp at Glenwood Avenue heading south will extend all the way across the bridge to become the exit ramp at Perkins Street.
Noise walls will be installed in four locations, including:
- The west side of Route 8 between Glenwood Avenue and Lookout Park
- The east side of Route 8 between the former Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center and Celebration Church
- The east side of Route 8 between Adams and Perkins streets
- The west side of Route 8 between Adams and Perkins streets
The Freedom Trail, which runs below the bridge, will experience slight disruption when access-road construction causes two separate six-month closures, ODOT said, while additional closures and trail restrictions are possible.
In partnership with Metro Parks and the city of Akron, ODOT said it plans to make permanent improvements to the trail, including building a paved connector linking Perkins Street and Freedom Trail as well as a scenic overlook under the new structures behind the trail.
ODOT has planned the bridge-replacement project for more than a decade, with stakeholder meetings beginning in 2012. During public meetings in 2015 and 2016, ODOT presented a plan to begin work in 2021 when project costs were estimated at more than $120 million.
Although design work was complete, the project was delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the state's funding priorities, which resulted in project shortfalls, ODOT said.
In answer to ODOT's request for input in the early sessions, residents submitted creative and environmentally focused ideas for the project.
Suggestions included building the bridge with titanium beams and making the structure able to meet earthquake standards of California. Residents suggested sowing red clover below the bridge to eliminate mowing and creating a wildlife habitat there.
One recommendation called for building the bridge’s cement bases in ancient Roman style so they last 2,000 years, while another suggested enabling mural-painting at the ground level, with nesting tubes built above to provide homes for falcons and other birds.
ODOT is still accepting feedback and taking questions, which can be submitted on the ODOT website.
