CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH – The Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works announced that the Memphis Avenue bridge in Brooklyn will reopen to all vehicular traffic starting by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 30. It was closed on May 9, 2022, following an inspection where engineers noticed a structural deficiency that required the bridge to be closed to all traffic.
“I want to thank the residents of Cuyahoga County for their patience and commend the employees in our Public Works Department for their hard work as we get set to reopen the bridge next week,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. “Closing a bridge – especially one that is used by approximately 22,000 vehicles a day – is a difficult decision but was absolutely necessary in this instance to ensure everyone’s safety.”
The County entered into a $6.4 million contract with Independence Excavating, Inc. in 2020 to replace the Memphis Avenue bridge, originally built in 1928. The project is paid for through county, state, and federal funds. Initial work included utility relocation, retaining wall and waterline installation, erosion control, traffic control design, and detour setup. The demolition and construction phase began in March 2022, with the bridge open to one-way traffic. During this phase, county engineers found hidden corroded steel used to support the structure and immediately ordered the closure of the entire bridge. Work completed since then included additional demolition and construction, beam and deck placement, sidewalk and railing placement, fence installation, and other concrete and cosmetic work.