Opportunity Corridor

File:Opportunity Corridor, Quadrant Road, East 55th (2).png

{{further|Interstate 490 (Ohio)#History}}

In the 1960s, Cuyahoga County had planned to build a freeway called the Clark Freeway in Cleveland and its environs, part of a network of planned freeways.{{cite web |title = Route Location Studies: Clark Freeway, East 55th Street to Outer Belt East Freeway (Report Number 8) |author = Cuyahoga County, Ohio |author-link = Cuyahoga County, Ohio |publisher = Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff |date = August 1966 |url = http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm/ref/collection/urbanohio/id/1214 |access-date = March 2, 2019 }} The entirety of I-490, along with a portion of what later became I-90 westward from the I-71/I-90/I-490 interchange, was built as a result of this project. However, the road was initially proposed to extend to the Outer-belt East Freeway (I-271). The route was ultimately truncated to East 55th Street as a result of freeway revolts.

Later plans for a highway along this general routing included a plan to build a freeway northeastward from East 55th Street to the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway (I-90 and State Route 2), but this plan was rejected in 2002.{{cite news |first = Rich |last = Exner |title = East Side Highway Options Hit Wall: State, Federal Officials Urge Scrapping Plan |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = February 15, 2002 }} The route was again proposed by Ken Blackwell during his failed bid for governor in 2006.{{cite news |first = Ted |last = Wendling |title = Foe Blasts Blackwell's 'Summit' with Contractors |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = August 18, 2006 }}

The road as built, part of the Inner-belt reconstruction project, is a boulevard connecting I-490 to the University Circle neighborhood. This iteration was conceived in 2008,{{cite news |first = Jim |last = Nichols |title = Cleveland's Opportunity Corridor Project Gets Back on Track |url = http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/06/clevelands_opportunity_corrido.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = June 27, 2008 |access-date = June 30, 2008 }} though references to it existed as early as 2003;{{cite news|first=Rich|last=Exner|title=Proposal made to improve access to University Circle|date=December 10, 2003|work=The Plain Dealer}} its record of decision was issued in May 2014.{{cite book |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/ClevelandUrbanCoreProjects/OpportunityCorridor/Documents/_Cleveland%20Opportunity%20Corridor%20Project%20FEIS-ROD.pdf |title = The Cleveland Opportunity Corridor Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement / Record of Decision |author = HNTB |author-link = HNTB |publisher = Federal Highway Administration/Ohio Department of Transportation |date = May 1, 2014 |access-date = May 30, 2014 }}{{cite news |first = Alison |last = Grant |title = Opportunity Corridor Gets Federal Signoff, Clearing Way for 3.5-Mile Boulevard |url = http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/05/opportunity_corridor_gets_fede.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = May 29, 2014 |access-date = May 30, 2014 }} Construction began in March 2015 along the portion east of East 93rd Street;{{cite news |first = Alison |last = Grant |title = Inner Belt, Opportunity Corridor Move Along, Road Repair Plan Nixed |url = http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/inner_belt_opportunity_corrido.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = December 18, 2014 |access-date = December 19, 2014 }}{{cite news |first = Alison |last = Grant |title = Opportunity Corridor Crews Begin Work on Monday Along a Section of East 105th Street |url = http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/03/opportunity_corridor_crews_loc.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = March 13, 2015 |access-date = March 19, 2015 }} this portion opened in two segments in late 2017 and November 2018.{{cite press release |author = Staff |title = Officials cut the ribbon on Opportunity Corridor Section 2 |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D12/Deputy%20Director/News/Pages/Officials-cut-the-ribbon-on-Opportunity-Corridor-Section-2.aspx |publisher = Ohio Department of Transportation District 12 |date = November 29, 2018 |access-date = December 1, 2018 }} After various delays,{{cite news |first = Steven |last = Litt |title = Opportunity Corridor is Back on Track for 2021 Completion after Delay Caused by Taxpayer Lawsuit |url = http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2018/02/opportunity_corridor_on_track.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = February 14, 2018 |access-date = February 14, 2018 }}{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Higgs|title=Change in Design Will Extend I-490 Construction Work at Opportunity Corridor an Extra Six Months|url=https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2020/11/change-in-design-will-extend-i-490-construction-work-at-opportunity-corridor-an-extra-six-months.html|work=The Plain Dealer|location=Cleveland|date=November 24, 2020|access-date=November 25, 2020}} the last section opened November 12, 2021.{{cite news|first=Kaylee|last=Remington|title=Opportunity Corridor Boulevard officially opens in Cleveland|url=https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2021/11/opportunity-corridor-boulevard-officially-opens-in-cleveland.html|work=The Plain Dealer|date=November 13, 2021|access-date=February 16, 2024}}

The project was estimated in April 2013 to cost $331.3 million by the Federal Highway Administration, or about $100 million per mile.{{cite web |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/ClevelandUrbanCoreProjects/OpportunityCorridor/NewsandInformation/Pages/Project-Overview.aspx |title = Project Overview |publisher = Ohio Department of Transportation |access-date = September 28, 2019 }}

{{As of|2023}}, several building projects were underway along the boulevard.{{cite news|first=Catherine|last=Ross|title=Development Begins Taking Shape along Opportunity Corridor|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/development-begins-taking-shape-along-opportunity-corridor|publisher=WEWS-TV|date=April 19, 2023|access-date=April 20, 2023}}

The Opportunity Corridor has a number of opponents, including a grassroots group, Clevelanders for Transportation Equity.{{cite web |author = Clevelanders for Transportation Equity |title = Clevelanders for Transportation Equity |url = http://opportunitycorridor.com/about-2/ |publisher = Clevelanders for Transportation Equity |access-date = December 13, 2013 }} Many of the objections are rooted in the upheaval of the local community, which is predominantly lower income and African-American.{{cite news |first = Tom |last = Breckenridge |title = Opportunity Corridor's Latest Alignment Would Uproot More than 90 Families, a Dozen Businesses |url = http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/07/post_498.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = July 18, 2011 |access-date = July 19, 2011 }}{{Cite web |url = https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/opportunity-nowhere-the-beginners-guide-to-being-outraged-over-the-330-million-opportunity-corridor/Content?oid=4333239 |title = Opportunity Nowhere: The Beginner's Guide to Being Outraged Over the $330-Million Opportunity Corridor |last = Stocking |first = Chris |website = Cleveland Scene |language = en |access-date = 2019-07-16 }}

Other local critiques include a report by the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative in which concerns are raised regarding a lack of comprehensive vision, lack of meaningful community engagement, poorly designed green infrastructure, and the absence of true multi-modal integration.{{cite web |title = Advancing Opportunities: Cleveland's Opportunity Corridor |date = March 4, 2014 |author = Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative |url = https://www.slideshare.net/S8008/opportunity-31901155 |access-date = 2019-09-28 }}

The Opportunity Corridor was also featured in a report by the United States Public Interest Research Group titled, "Highway Boondoggles:

Wasted Money and America’s Transportation Future".{{cite web |title = Report: 21st Century Transportation |date = September 18, 2014 |author = U.S. Public Interest Research Group |url = https://uspirg.org/reports/usp/highway-boondoggles |access-date = 2019-09-28 }} This report highlights ODOT's poor enforcement of their “fix-it-first” policy as well as the stagnant Vehicle Miles Traveled statistics for the region in contrast with the increased ridership on the Regional Transit Authority.{{cite web |title = Highway Boondoggles: Wasted Money and America's Transportation Future |date = September 18, 2014 |first1 = Jeff |last1 = Inglis |first2 = Phineas |last2 = Baxandall |url = https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Highway%20Boondoggles%20USPIRG.pdf |publisher = U.S. Public Interest Research Group |access-date = 2019-09-28 }}

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|road={{Jct|state=OH|I|490|dir1=west|name1=Troy Lee James Highway|to2=to|I|77|I|90}}

|notes=Continuation beyond western terminus

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|road=Quadrant Road (to East 55th Street)

|notes=Western terminus; one-quadrant interchange{{cite web |title=Opportunity Corridor (Section 3) |url=https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odot/projects/projects/96833 |access-date=September 5, 2020}}

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|road={{Jct|state=OH|OH|87|name1=Buckeye Road}}

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|road=Quincy Avenue

|notes=Runs along East 105th Street beyond this junction

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|road={{Jct|state=OH|US|20|name1=Euclid Avenue}}

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|road={{Jct|state=OH|US|322|name1=Chester Avenue}}

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{{Reflist}}

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• {{cite news |first = Tom |last = Breckenridge |title = Homes, businesses in Cleveland neighborhoods would be leveled to make way for Opportunity Corridor |url = http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/homes_businesses_in_cleveland.html |work = The Plain Dealer |location = Cleveland |date = September 18, 2010 |access-date = September 22, 2010 }}

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• [http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/ClevelandUrbanCoreProjects/OpportunityCorridor/Pages/default.aspx Opportunity Corridor] by Ohio Department of Transportation

Category:Streets in Cleveland