CLEVELAND — Construction work continues along Cleveland's Carnegie Avenue, much to the disappointment of local business owner Lenny Weiss.
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News 5's Caitlin Hunt met with Weiss in late March, thinking the two would celebrate the end of construction.
As soon as the two pulled into Weiss' business, Bee Clean Car Wash, crews arrived and set up bright orange barrels in front of the car wash. A big difference from the last few months of peace Weiss experienced.
"All of the barrels were missing," he said. "It was wide open."
Now, Weiss' construction nightmare has returned as crews gear up for phase two of the Carnegie Avenue Rehabilitation Project.
The project started in the summer of 2024 to resurface the road from East 79th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Work must also be done underground to replace water main lines.
Since the early days of the project, the various cones and detours have troubled Weiss and other business owners. Hunt has met with Weiss several times within the past year. It started in February of last year when Weiss and other business owners voiced their concerns with a construction closure blocking access to their businesses.
That situation cleared up in May, but Weiss contacted Hunt again in August about drivers having difficulty navigating the construction.
RELATED: Frustrations and orange barrels still present along Cleveland's Carnegie Avenue
In September, Hunt brought Weiss' concerns to Cleveland City Council President Blaine A. Griffin, who said there wasn't much the city could do.
RELATED: Cleveland councilman says not much help available for struggling Carnegie Avenue businesses
"Quite frankly, you can't make a policy just to remedy one situation," he said in September of last year.
In the last week, crews have created one lane of traffic in each direction along Carnegie Avenue to complete what the City of Cleveland says is a substantial amount of work.
In an email, the City of Cleveland said the following needs to be completed:
- · Road resurfacing from East 79th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
- · Milling, leveling, and other asphalt work
- · Pavement base repairs (i.e., removal, prep, & pour) and some sidewalk work
- · Utility casting adjustments
- · ADA-compliant ramps
- · Concrete curb replacement (remove, prep, & pour)
- · New water main that will replace the existing one between East 79th Street and Stearns Road
- · New mast arm traffic lights, with new signal heads & backplates
- · Pavement reconfiguration at Stokes Boulevard and DeForest Road
- · Installation of pedestrian signals & push button activation at East 83rd Street, East 90th Street, East 96th Street, East 100th Street, Stokes Boulevard, Stearns Road, MLK Jr. Drive, and the MLK Jr./Cedar Avenue intersection
- New pavement markings/striping & signage – including High Visibility Thermoplastic pavement markings & ladder style crosswalks at the East 86th Street, East 89th Street, East 90th Street, East 96th Street, East 100th Street, Stokes Boulevard, Stearns Road, DeForest Road, and MLK Jr. Drive intersections.
- Earthwork as-needed
The city said the goal is to complete this phase of the project by the end of the year, but that depends on the weather.
Despite seeing business improvements this past winter, Weiss is still frustrated with the project.
"It's too long a project," he said. "It's inconsiderate, as far as I am concerned, for businessmen to have to fight to stay in business. The project has been going on forever."
