BROOK PARK, Ohio — The Browns hope to build their new domed stadium in Brook Park. To prepare for an increase in traffic during major events, the city is looking to make some potential traffic modifications to roads around the proposed stadium.
The hope is that the new stadium will be built across the highway from Cleveland Hopkins Airport. With that in mind, the Brook Park City Council is proposing to widen the I-71 northbound exit ramp at Snow Road. The city wants to add another lane so they can have two dedicated left lanes headed westbound towards the airport.
The city is also looking to add an elevated exit ramp on I-71 southbound that would travel by the Engle Road exit. It would be elevated above the railroad tracs to get people out in front of where the mixed use area and domed stadium would be.
"We're trying to shine as a community and as region on this because it's not just about the domed stadium," Mayor Ed Orcutt said. "We're doing a lot of things here in Brook Park."
Orcutt said the road work would cost about $70 million.
The Ohio Department of Transportation has a panel that awards money for these special projects. The city council is considering a measure to allow the city to apply for these funds.
"We believe that we have a strong case to be able to get this application to the board," Orcutt said. "We all want the residents and ourselves to be satisfied with this because it's a big project. I mean it's huge and a colossal undertaking. We just wanna make sure like everything is going to be alright."
If the city council approves the resolution, the City of Brook Park will then move forward with applying for the funding.
