As part of a plan to improve safety and reduce traffic delays following a 2008 temporary closure of The Innerbelt Bridge, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) retained SME to provide slope monitoring services to support construction of two new bridges to carry I-90 traffic through Downtown Cleveland.

The original I-90 Innerbelt Bridge carried traffic over the Cuyahoga River, and when it was constructed in 1959, it was the widest bridge in all of Ohio. As traffic increased over the years and the bridge aged, ODOT recognized it was imperative to address operational, design, access, and safety shortcomings of the original bridge system by constructing two new bridges as part of their Cleveland Innerbelt Bridge Modernization Plan.

SME became part of ODOTs bridge modernization plan team in December 2010. We monitored slope movement during demolition of the original I-90 Innerbelt Bridge and also during construction of the two replacement bridges, each extending over 4,000 feet long. ODOT brought SME onto this project because of our slope stability expertise and our ability to quickly adapt to changes. We provided quick response to install new instruments when needed, keeping ODOT well informed of potential slope movement at early stages. This was vital to the project’s success, since any slope movement could have resulted in serious danger to the workers and to the public. The sooner we identified movement, the sooner the project team could get working on a solution.

Prior to demolishing the original Innerbelt Bridge, our work included accessing the catwalks beneath the bridge to measure changes between the bridge spans. Throughout the life of the project, SME has installed and monitored close to 40 piezometers and inclinometers to depths exceeding 200 feet. At the peak of construction activity, we monitored instruments every other week. The more recent reduction in construction activity has supported a reduction in the monitoring frequency to once per quarter. Through regular monitoring, SME was able to keep a close eye on the pore water pressure and inclinometer displacements, both of which can provide early signs of possible movement.

SME worked closely with Walsh during replacement of the first bridge, and likewise with Trumbull, Great Lakes Construction, and Ruhlin (TGR) as they constructed the second bridge.