CLEVELAND, Ohio – Brook Park’s plans for traffic and pedestrian infrastructure improvements near the Browns stadium site moved one step closer to approval from a regional planning agency on Friday.
The executive committee of the five-county Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency voted, 5-0, to send the plan to the full 48-member board for consideration on March 13.
The NOACA process, a required step for major road improvements regionally, began on Aug. 15.
NOACA Executive Director Grace Gallucci told committee members on Friday that that agency’s independent analysis found there would be only minimal impact on traffic at nearby Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
She said excess capacity in Greater Cleveland’s highway system was one reason why the traffic plan would work at Brook Park. And she said an advantage the site has over the current stadium downtown is that traffic will be coming to games from more directions.
The $82 million in work proposed by Brook Park and the Browns largely involves improvements to the Interstate 71 interchange at Snow Road, changes to local roads, and a pedestrian bridge for stadium users who park off-site.
Brook Park is seeking $70 million from the state, but also intends to apply for money from the federal government to help fill in gaps if necessary. The Browns have committed $12 million.
Excavation for the stadium is scheduled to start March 2. The Browns want the facility ready in time for the start of the 2029 season.
This chart shows projections for increased traffic after the new Browns stadium is built with proposed road improvements versus current conditions, according to an analysis by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
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