Interstate 490 (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 490 is a 2.43 miles (3.9 km) Interstate Highway in Cleveland, Ohio
. The western terminus is a junction with I-90
and I-71
on Cleveland's west side. After spanning the Cuyahoga River
, the eastern terminus is a junction with East 55th Street, just east of I-77
.
In 2008, the Ohio Department of Transportation closed I-90 to trucks over the Innerbelt Bridge
due to weight concerns. Trucks traveling eastbound are detoured onto I-490 east, then exit at I-77 north and rejoin I-90 east at I-77's northern terminus. Traveling westbound, trucks exit I-90 west at I-77 south, then exit at I-490 west before rejoining I-90 at I-490's western terminus.
and other city and federal highway authorities called for the highway – also known as the Clark Freeway and, at various times and in various sections, as Interstate 80N
and Interstate 290 – to bisect the east side of the city and the eastern suburbs; the I-290 designation would have continued north along I-271
. A referendum in Shaker Heights
in the late 1960s, however, barred the city from allowing the highway to pass through the city. This put a large and impassable hole in the plans and made the completion of the highway as a whole impossible. A segment at the western end opened in 1990 as I-490.
The interchanges between I-490 and West 7th Street and between I-90 and West 14th Street/Abbey Avenue were designed to complete the missing movements at the stack interchange
at what is now the termini of both I-71 and I-490; I-71 was to continue along the Innerbelt to Dead Man's Curve
(in addition to the original Clark Freeway plans), while I-290 was to have used a portion of present I-90 meet the Parma Freeway. After the freeway revolts
killed the Clark Freeway east of East 55th Street and the Parma Freeway, I-90 was realigned to follow the Innerbelt and part of I-290.
In April 2011, the ramps between I-77 and I-90 to the west were removed, making I-490 the official route between those highways and between I-77 and I-71.
to University Circle
, named the "Opportunity Corridor". After temporary rejections in 2002 and 2006 – the latter due to Secretary of State Ken Blackwell
's loss in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign
after he had reintroduced the plan as part of a plan to lease the Ohio Turnpike
– the plan is active again. In June 2008, the start date for the project was planned to be 2015, earlier than the 2025 or later date previously planned. In 2009, a plan to incorporate the highway as a toll road was proposed. That same year, a director of the project was named, and the Opportunity Corridor Steering Committee was formed, holding its first meeting on May 15. As of July 2011 the earliest date of construction is 2016, providing that funding is available.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The western terminus is a junction with I-90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
and I-71
Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...
on Cleveland's west side. After spanning the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
, the eastern terminus is a junction with East 55th Street, just east of I-77
Interstate 77
Interstate 77 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the old U.S...
.
In 2008, the Ohio Department of Transportation closed I-90 to trucks over the Innerbelt Bridge
Innerbelt Bridge
The Innerbelt Bridge is a truss arch bridge in Cleveland, Ohio carrying Interstate 90/Innerbelt Freeway over the Cuyahoga River.-History:The bridge, completed in 1959, is in length and in width, built as the widest bridge in Ohio...
due to weight concerns. Trucks traveling eastbound are detoured onto I-490 east, then exit at I-77 north and rejoin I-90 east at I-77's northern terminus. Traveling westbound, trucks exit I-90 west at I-77 south, then exit at I-490 west before rejoining I-90 at I-490's western terminus.
History
The original plans of the ClevelandCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and other city and federal highway authorities called for the highway – also known as the Clark Freeway and, at various times and in various sections, as Interstate 80N
Interstate 80N (Ohio)
Interstate 80N is a former designation in Ohio. It was replaced by parts of:*Interstate 90*Interstate 480*And the entirety of Interstate 490...
and Interstate 290 – to bisect the east side of the city and the eastern suburbs; the I-290 designation would have continued north along I-271
Interstate 271
Interstate 271 is an auxiliary interstate highway in the suburbs of Cleveland and Akron in the U.S. state of Ohio. The highway is officially designated the "Cleveland Outerbelt East", but rarely referred to by that name.-Route description:...
. A referendum in Shaker Heights
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
in the late 1960s, however, barred the city from allowing the highway to pass through the city. This put a large and impassable hole in the plans and made the completion of the highway as a whole impossible. A segment at the western end opened in 1990 as I-490.
The interchanges between I-490 and West 7th Street and between I-90 and West 14th Street/Abbey Avenue were designed to complete the missing movements at the stack interchange
Stack interchange
A stack interchange is a free-flowing grade separated junction between two roads.In countries where one drives on the right, left turns are handled by semi-directional flyover/under ramps...
at what is now the termini of both I-71 and I-490; I-71 was to continue along the Innerbelt to Dead Man's Curve
Dead Man's Curve
"Dead Man's Curve" is the unofficial but commonly used name given to hazardous curves on Interstate Highways and other roads in the United States that have claimed lives because of accidents.-Cleveland Innerbelt:...
(in addition to the original Clark Freeway plans), while I-290 was to have used a portion of present I-90 meet the Parma Freeway. After the freeway revolts
Freeway and expressway revolts
Many freeway revolts took place in developed countries during the 1960s and 1970s, in response to plans for the construction of new freeways, a significant number of which were abandoned or significantly scaled back due to widespread public opposition; especially of those whose neighborhoods would...
killed the Clark Freeway east of East 55th Street and the Parma Freeway, I-90 was realigned to follow the Innerbelt and part of I-290.
In April 2011, the ramps between I-77 and I-90 to the west were removed, making I-490 the official route between those highways and between I-77 and I-71.
Opportunity Corridor
There have been subsequent proposals to employ part of the I-290 routing. The current plan, part of the Innerbelt project, proposes an expresswayLimited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
to University Circle
University Circle
University Circle, is a neighborhood located on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is best known for its world-class cultural, educational and medical institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Museum of Art, Lakeview Cemetery, and University...
, named the "Opportunity Corridor". After temporary rejections in 2002 and 2006 – the latter due to Secretary of State Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell
John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician and activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1979 to 1980 and Ohio Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. A Republican, he was the first African-American to be the candidate for governor of a major party in Ohio. In 2006, Blackwell...
's loss in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign
Ohio gubernatorial election, 2006
The Ohio gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006, and was a race for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Incumbent Governor Bob Taft could not run for re-election, as Ohio governors are limited to two consecutive terms in office....
after he had reintroduced the plan as part of a plan to lease the Ohio Turnpike
Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...
– the plan is active again. In June 2008, the start date for the project was planned to be 2015, earlier than the 2025 or later date previously planned. In 2009, a plan to incorporate the highway as a toll road was proposed. That same year, a director of the project was named, and the Opportunity Corridor Steering Committee was formed, holding its first meeting on May 15. As of July 2011 the earliest date of construction is 2016, providing that funding is available.