Rocky River’s Marion Bridge connects the city and many downtown workers to the western suburbs, and to Lakewood and Cleveland to the east.
But now, the city is considering demolishing the bridge built nearly 60 years ago.
A firm hired by the city calls the bridge obsolete.
Photos from the feasibility study show parts of the bridge are in disrepair.
However, the study also concluded removing the ramps would greatly increase traffic on nearby side streets that would be used as cut-throughs.
The study says Linda Street, for instance, which has a lot of foot traffic because of restaurants and homes, could see "several thousand" more vehicles per day if the bridge is taken down.
“It’s not a real good idea," said Tom Coughlin, who lives on Linda Street. “It’s just going to be backed up.”
He said the road would become grid locked with extra traffic, especially when there are trains on the nearby tracks.
Sloane, another residential street with a school would also become a cut-through to Clifton Avenue, possibly creating even more backups.
“I’d hate to see this street get any busier than it is already, and I think it would change the neighborhood quite a bit, and that’s disappointing to hear," said Toni Donoghue, who lives on Sloane. “I’d like to see the ramps stay open maybe they need some updating, maybe put the money into updating them.”
The city is currently asking residents for input on their website.
City leaders stressed that nothing is imminent, because they want to hear what residents have to say during public meetings.
The study says, if the ramps come down, the area could be used as green space and extra parking, which is needed for downtown Rocky River.
