Mayor Frank Jackson, United States Secret Service representatives, and the Cleveland Division of Police have announced the security and traffic restrictions that will be put in place for the Republican National Convention.
Only individuals with credentials or tickets will be allowed to access the Republican National Convention Complex.
If you work or live downtown, it's important to be aware of the following changes and closures for the RNC.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Voinovich Park, and Great Lakes Science Center
The following road closures will be implemented beginning 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, July 17. The restrictions will remain in effect until 1 a.m. Monday, July 18:
• Cleveland Memorial Shoreway from West 45th Street to the Innerbelt Freeway ramp
• Northbound East 9th Street at Lakeside Avenue
• Lakeside Avenue from East 9th Street to West 3rd Street
• Northbound West 3rd Street at Lakeside Avenue
• Alfred Lerner Way from West 3rd Street to North Marginal Road
• North Marginal Road is closed at Aviation High School
• South Marginal Road westbound at East 38th Street
• Erieside Avenue
• Key Plaza
• Burke Lakefront Airport is accessible via North Marginal Road from East 55th Street
***North Marginal Road will be open for vehicles carrying patrons to Forest City Yacht
Club, Lakeside Yacht Club, and residents of Quay 55.***
Burke Lakefront Airport
Burke Lakefront Airport will close at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. The airport will be accessible from North Marginal Road via E. 55th Street until 6:00 p.m. on this date. Burke Lakefront Airport will only be open to private aviation when the security gateway airports (Youngstown Airport and Canton-Akron Airport) are operational. Gateway screening will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Monday, July 18 and from 2:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 19 through Thursday July 21.
North Coast Harbor Marina
The North Coast Harbor Marina will close to all marine vessels at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 16. All vessels, crew, and passengers must depart the marina at that time. The marina will re-open to vessels at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 18.
East 9th Street
The following traffic restrictions will begin at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 16 and remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22:
• East 9th Street is northbound only from Prospect Avenue to the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway. The southbound lanes of East 9th Street will be closed from St. Clair Avenue to Prospect Avenue, and East 9th Street is closed to all traffic from Prospect Avenue to Orange Avenue
• Eastbound traffic will be able to cross East 9th Street at St Clair Avenue
• Eastbound and westbound traffic will be able to cross East 9th Street at Superior Avenue
• Eastbound and westbound traffic will be able to cross East 9th Street at Vincent Avenue
• Eastbound and westbound traffic will be able to cross East 9th Street at Euclid Avenue
• East 9th Street ramps from Interstate 71, Interstate 90, and Interstate 77 will be closed
***Pedestrians will be directed to the east sidewalk of East 9th Street from Carnegie Avenue to Prospect Avenue***
Huntington Bank Cleveland Convention Center
The following traffic restrictions will begin at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 16 and remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22:
• St. Clair Avenue between Ontario Street and East 9th Street will be eastbound only
• Westbound lanes of St. Clair Avenue between East 9th Street and Ontario Street will be closed
• Lakeside Avenue between West Mall Drive and East Mall Drive will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians
• West Mall Drive between Lakeside Avenue and St. Clair Avenue will be closed
• East Mall Drive between Lakeside Avenue and St. Clair Avenue will be closed
• Eastbound traffic towards the Justice Center on St. Clair Avenue will be diverted north or south at West 3rd Street
• Westbound traffic towards the Justice Center on St. Clair Avenue will be diverted north or south at Ontario Street
*** Parking garages for Key Bank Center and Marriott Hotel are accessible via St. Clair
Avenue. City Hall, County Courthouse, Huntington Garage and Willard Garage will be
accessible via Lakeside Avenue. East 9th Street from St. Clair Avenue to Prospect Avenue will carry only northbound traffic. East 9th Street from Prospect Avenue to Orange Avenue will be entirely closed to vehicular traffic***
The Republican National Convention Complex
(Quicken Loans Arena & Progressive Field)
The following road closures will be implemented beginning 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 and will remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. Saturday, July 23:
• Southbound lanes of East 9th Street from St. Clair Avenue to Prospect Avenue
• East 9th Street from Prospect Avenue to Orange Avenue
• Carnegie Avenue from East 9th Street to West 20th Street
• Ontario Street from Prospect Avenue to East 14th Street
• West Huron Road from West 6th Street to Ontario Street
• Huron Road from Ontario Street to East 7th Street
• East 7th Street
• Bolivar Road west from East 9th Street
• Eagle Avenue west from East 9th Street
• Lorain-Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge from West 20th Street to Carnegie Avenue at
East 9th Street
The following roads will be restricted to local vehicle traffic beginning 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July
18 through 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22:
• West Prospect Avenue from West 3rd Street to Ontario Street
• Carnegie Avenue from East 14th Street to East 9th Street
The following streets are pedestrian access only and are off limits to vehicles beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 18 through 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July, 22:
• Prospect Avenue from Ontario Street to East 9th Street
• Huron Road from East 7th Street to Prospect Avenue
***Residents of 668 Euclid Avenue can access their parking garage via Prospect Avenue from East 9th Street and enter a vehicle screening area. Residence Inn patrons can utilize the same screening location. Patrons of the Radisson Hotel on Huron Road will be permitted to walk to the hotel from Prospect Avenue***
Deliveries to Prospect Avenue, East 4th Street, and Tower City Businesses
Vehicles that must make deliveries to businesses located on East 4th Street or Prospect Avenue between Ontario Street and East 9th Street from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 18 through 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July, 22 will be directed to a remote delivery site (RDS) for cargo screening:
• Deliveries for Prospect Avenue and East 4th Street must be conducted between 3:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. beginning on Monday, July 18 through Friday, July 22 at 6:00 a.m.
• Only those vehicles that have gone through the RDS and have been escorted by on-site law enforcement personnel from the RDS will be granted access to Prospect Avenue
• All drivers must have a valid driver’s license approved for the rating of the vehicle they are operating
• Exigent/emergency deliveries falling outside of the designated RDS hours to locations along Prospect Avenue and East 4th Street may be facilitated on a case-by-case basis
***Tower City deliveries utilizing Canal Road must also go through the RDS and are subject to the additional terms outlined above***
Canal Road
The following traffic restrictions will be implemented on Canal Road for the days and times noted below:
• On Monday, July 18, Canal Road between East 9th Street Extension and Robert
Lockwood Jr. Drive will be restricted to westbound traffic only starting at 12:00 p.m.
• On Tuesday, July 19 through Thursday, July 21 Canal Road between East 9th Street Extension and Robert Lockwood Jr. Drive will be open for two-way traffic until 4:00 p.m.
• Canal Road between East 9th Street Extension and Robert Lockwood Jr. Drive will close
daily (Monday through Thursday) at 4:00 pm. All vehicles exiting businesses and lots after 4:00 p.m. on Canal Road will be directed westbound towards Flats East and Ohio City
• On Friday, July 22 at 2:00 a.m., Canal Road between East 9th Street Extension and
Robert Lockwood Jr. Drive will be open for normal traffic
*** As noted above, Tower City deliveries utilizing Canal Road must also go through the RDS
and must also be escorted by law enforcement.***
Innerbelt Freeway (Interstate 90)
The following traffic restrictions will be implemented beginning at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 18. Unless otherwise noted below, the restrictions will remain until 2:00 a.m. Friday, July 22.
• All commercial vehicles as defined below are restricted from traveling westbound on the
Innerbelt Freeway between East 21st Street and Interstate 490 interchange
• All commercial vehicles as defined below are restricted from traveling eastbound on the
Innerbelt Freeway between the Interstate 490 interchange and Prospect Avenue
• Westbound lanes of the Innerbelt Freeway will be restricted to one lane from East 21st
Street to 500 feet west of the West 3rd Street overpass
• Eastbound lanes of the Innerbelt Freeway will be restricted to one lane from 500 feet west of the West 3rd Street overpass to the East 14th Street interchange
• On Monday, July 18 through Friday, July 22, the Innerbelt Freeway will be closed in both directions nightly (Monday through Thursday) from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
• I-90 on ramp at Ontario will be closed
• I-90 on ramp at East 9th Street will be closed
• I-90 off ramp at East 9th will be closed
• I-77 off ramp to East 9th Street and Ontario Street will be closed
*** Chester Avenue exit ramp from Interstate 90 eastbound and Interstate 71 northbound has been modified to allow vehicles to turn left on Chester Street to mitigate the closure of East 9th Street ramps.***
NOTE: Commercial vehicles means a motor vehicle or combination vehicle used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle -- (1) has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) whichever is greater; or (2) has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or (3) is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver; or 4) is of any size and is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C.
5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172 or is transporting any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part
73. 49 CFR 383.5
City Parking Restrictions
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 18 through 2:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22, street parking in the central business district of downtown Cleveland will be unavailable within the below boundaries:
• All streets west of East 26th Street and east of West 10th Street
• All streets north of Carnegie Avenue within boundaries of East 26th Street and West 10th
Street
• West 25th Street from Detroit Avenue to Gehring Street
Public Viewing Areas (Republican National Convention Complex)
Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 18 through 2:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22, the below locations are gathering spaces available to the public for expressive activities as well as for sightseeing:
• In the triangular green space at Ontario Street on the western side of the Republican National Convention Complex. This space is accessible from the west side of the Lorain- Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge via the north side pedestrian path
• On Erie Court between East 9th Street and East 14th Street
• On Prospect Avenue (the segment that is closed to vehicle traffic) between Ontario
Street and East 9th Street
• On Huron Road from East 7th Street to Prospect Avenue
*** As a reminder, items such as backpacks and coolers are not allowed to be brought into public viewing areas, pursuant to the City of Cleveland’s prohibited items list for the Event Zone.***
Airspace Restrictions
The FAA will have flight restrictions in place in and around Cleveland, OH during the RNC which will affect airport operations in the area and will restrict certain types of flight operations. Flights within certain areas will be subject to increased security procedures.
Pilots are strongly encouraged to check NOTAMs frequently for possible changes prior to operations in the area or contact a Flight Service Station at 1-800-992-7433 to check for all current NOTAMs.
No Drone Zone
Cleveland, OH and surrounding communities are No Drone Zones under the FAA flight restrictions for the RNC and local ordinances.
Flying a drone in any of the designated restricted areas is against the law. Any unmanned aircraft –
including radio-controlled model aircraft / UAS-- are prohibited in the designated restricted areas.
Anyone flying a drone within the designated restricted areas may be subject to civil and criminal charges.
Maritime Security Zones
The Coast Guard has established temporary security zones for navigable waters within Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River during the 2016 Republican National Convention from July 15, 2016 through July 23, 2016.
• Zone 2 will be in effect from 6 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. on July 17
• Zone 4 will be in effect daily from 4:00 p.m. on July 18 through 1:00 a.m. on July 22
• There is currently no plan for zones 1 or 3 to be in effect
• These times are subject to change in coordination with the event schedule
• Public notice of enforcement periods will be made via Broadcast Notice to Mariners over
VHF channel 16
Maritime Safety Zones (Cleveland Harbor)
The Coast Guard has also established two safety zones located northwest of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and on the Western side of the entrance to the Cuyahoga River to allow individuals expressing their views the means to do so in a safe manner.
• Zone 5 will be active from 2:00 p.m. through 11:59 p.m. on July 17
• Zone 6 will be active from 9:00 a.m. on July 17 through 11:59 p.m. on July 21
