Department of Public Works Seeks Public Input for Rockside Road Bridges Project

Department of Public Works Seeks Public Input for Rockside Road Bridges Project

Media Contacts: Jennifer Ciaccia: (216) 250-5863; [email protected]

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - The Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works, the City of Independence, the Village of Valley View, and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) invite the public to provide comments regarding the repair and replacement of two bridges on Rockside Road.

Bridge One is over the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) tracks. The repair project will include wider piers, new superstructure, and a new deck.

Bridge Two is over the Cuyahoga River. A replacement structure will be built in a similar alignment on Rockside Road. The project will add a new 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of Rockside Road connecting to Brecksville Road (SR 21).

Traffic on Rockside Road will be maintained during construction, using part-width techniques and detours. Construction work is expected to begin in Spring 2025 and will last approximately 24 months.

Access to Cuyahoga River for paddlers (canoes and kayaks) will be maintained during construction, except for four closures. There will be two 2-week closures to allow for removal of the existing beams and two 4-week closures for placement of the new steel girders and construction of the bridge deck. Although the Lock 39 Trailhead upstream of the project area is a designated portage location for canoes/kayaks, there is no suitable portage location downstream. Therefore, portage options will not be available during these closures.

The project will have minor impacts to the Cuyahoga River, wetlands, and the floodplain. The Valley Railroad Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and is within the project area. Minimal impacts are anticipated to this historic district.

Questions and comments must be submitted by January 10, 2024, and may include the effect of the project on local residents, air quality, the local economy, floodplains, the proposed temporary trail closure/detour, and historic or cultural resources.

Questions and comments can be submitted by email or mail:

• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works, 2079 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44115 ATTN: Matt Pastorelle