CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Transportation is reporting an uptick in safety following the completion of a 2020 safety improvement project in Cleveland.

The project was conducted between Cleveland and Parma, to improve the I-480 and State Road 94 interchange. ODOT reviewed crash data from 2016-2018, which showed an average of 40 annual crashes on SR 94 near the interchange and 50 crashes annually on I-480 at State Road.

ODOT started the project in Feb. 2019, dedicating a right-turn only lane on westbound SR17 (Brookpark Road) to northbound State Road, which lengthened the turn slot on the westbound ext ramp from I-480 to state Road. The project also reconfigured the travel lanes on State Road between Brookpark Road and Ralph/Burger Avenue.

Completed in 2020, since then ODOT reported crashes on State Road near I-480 have reduced 13% and on I-480 at State Road they have been reduced by 33%. 

"It's our goal to continue to install proven safety countermeasures to help reduce crashes," said ODOT District 12 Deputy Director John Picuri. "Seeing these positive results validates to us that these safety countermeasures are working and helping us achieve our mission to save lives."

ODOT said injury crashes have reduced by 30% on State Road and 47% on I-480.

The department is looking to continue safety improvements this year, starting at the I-271 northbound and Cedar-Brainard Road in Beachwood. The goal of this project is to add capacity for vehicles to wait on the exit ramp to turn onto Cedar-Brainard Road. Officials said the project will also modify I-271 northbound express  lane entrance and exit near Fairmount Blvd. 

This is expected to begin this spring and finish in 2026.