Three months after initially tabling the proposal, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Planning and Programming Committee has given its conditional approval to a massive plan meant to improve traffic and infrastructure around the Browns‘ planned domed stadium in Brook Park.

The committee advanced the plan Friday during its first meeting of the new year, “conditioned upon further study and development of infrastructure proposals related to communities outside of Brook Park and within the influence area” (i.e. municipalities like Parma, Berea, and Middleburg Heights, among others). The matter will next be discussed at NOACA’s Executive Committee meeting on Feb. 13, and could go up for a final vote before the agency’s full board of directors as soon as March 13.

The plan would include various upgrades, broken into six projects, including widening Interstate 71’s northbound exit ramp to Snow Road, building a flyover bridge over the railroad tracks near I-71 south, and adding a ring road connector along Snow Road. Both Brook Park and the Haslam Sports Group are asking the Ohio Department of Transportation for $70 million to help complete the project, if it’s approved.

NOACA’s Transportation Subcommittee originally signed off on the plan last year, but in October, the Planning and Programming Committee chose to pause the approval process. One of the committee members at the time was Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne — a staunch opponent of the Browns’ move to Brook Park — who at the time expressed concerns about traffic impacts and disruptions to adjacent communities, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and Southwest General Health Center.

“If we cannot guarantee that it (Hopkins Airport) will not be adversely impacted by the stadium location as proposed, then we should not support that stadium location by way of support infrastructure,” he said.

Ronayne is no longer on the Planning and Programming Committee and has also since relinquished his role as NOACA board president to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who has pledged to support the Brook Park stadium after the city reached a settlement agreement with the Haslam Sports Group. According to 3News media partner Cleveland.com, these role changes appear to be incidental, as NOACA tends to swap its leaders in and out from year to year.

In their presentation Friday night, supporters of the infrastructure project shared data which claimed events at the new stadium would have only a “marginal” impact on delays for drivers going both to and from the airport and hospital. The greatest impact could be felt after Browns games or other big events, with studies estimating that 22,000 cars could be on the roads as spectators try to leave at the same time.

“There’s going to be some delays, not a whole lot, and our region has excess capacity — particularly for the interstate,” NOACA Executive Director and CEO Grace Gallucci said earlier this month during a community presentation. “Our transportation system was built for a much larger population than we actually have.”

Construction crews are expected to break ground on the $2.4 billion Brook Park stadium in the coming months, with the grand opening slated for the 2029 season.

3News’ Dave DeNatale contributed to this report.