BROOK PARK, Ohio – While Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said this week construction on the team’s new stadium will begin on March 2, other key days are coming up in March as they relate to road improvements around the Brook Park site.

That’s when the state’s committee that considers funding for major new road improvements will release its 2026 draft list of projects to receive funding, and when a regional planning agency could sign off on the work.

Here are key takeaways from a story published earlier on cleveland.com.

State funding decision nears

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Transportation Review Advisory Council will release a draft list of recommended projects on March 25, with a final vote scheduled for April 23.

The plan costs $82 million

Brook Park is seeking $70 million from ODOT for major new projects to cover most of the costs. The remaining $12 million would be privately paid for by the Haslam Sports Group, an affiliate of the Browns. That engineering work paid for by the Browns began months ago.

Plan cleared a key regional hurdle

A regional planning committee for the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency last week unanimously signed off on the project. This approval, which had previously been delayed to allow for more traffic analysis, was necessary. NOACA must approve major road changes in the area. The full board could vote March 13.

Biggest traffic challenge will be after events

The road improvements are designed to handle up to 22,000 vehicles for big events. NOACA studies show acceptable delays, though traffic on local streets like Snow and Brookpark roads could increase by as much as 70% after a major event as vehicles leave at close to the same time. However, the NOACA analysis projects only minimal impact for traffic to nearby Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Preliminary work moving forward

Brook Park last month issued permits for about $65 million in excavation work and for temporary electrical service at the stadium site. Haslam said during a news conference announcing the team’s new coach on Tuesday that “four weeks from yesterday, we are going to start the largest construction job in Cuyahoga County history.” The stadium is to open in 2029.