As a resident, business owner, employee or someone who cares about Northeast Ohio, we will not stand for the recently announced delay in the construction of the second Innerbelt Bridge. A delay in the construction of the second Innerbelt Bridge will have detrimental effects on the westside and downtown neighborhoods, suburbs and the City of Cleveland as a whole. First, the safety of all commuters
on the bridge will be compromised, as the existing bridge is past its prime. Second, all commuters in Northeast Ohio will face delays in their daily trips and routes in and out of Tremont, Ohio City and Downtown will be compromised. And lastly, the residents in the historic Tremont, Ohio City and Downtown neighborhoods, whose quality of life has already been negatively affected by the construction, will have to continue to live amid construction and chaos for many more years. The Tremont neighborhood had over $74 million dollars of investment in 2009-10 alone. There is nothing that puts investment at risk more than uncertainty. We urge that ODOT and the state stop playing politics with the future of Northeast Ohio and finish what was started on the Innerbelt Bridge. We urge you to complete the construction of both Innerbelt Bridges by 2016, as originally proposed to the public. The new Innerbelt Bridges are integral to the success of the City of Cleveland.
