$9 Million Awarded To Cuyahoga River Stabilization Project

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $9 million in federal funds to stabilize the Cuyahoga River's Irishtown Bend.

The federal funds come at the same time that the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency pledged $3.5 million into stabilizing the Bend. Total funding for the project has now hit $31.5 million.

The Irishtown Stabilization Project will include the installation of approximately 3,200 linear feet of sheet steel bulkheads along the shore of the Cuyahoga River Federal Navigation Ship Channel, along what is commonly known as the Irishtown Bend.

According to Rep. Marcy Kaptur's office, wear and tear on the existing bulkheads have put the stretch of river at risk of catastrophic failure. Collapse could block the movement of freighters that deliver bulk goods upstream.

“A collapse at the Irishtown Bend would block movement of freighters in this important commercial passage to Lake Erie and the Great Lakes, resulting in harm not just to Northern Ohio, but $3.5 billion worth of economic activity across the Great Lakes region. Investing in the stabilization and modernization of our waterways will always be worthwhile. I applaud NOACA for its hard work securing this investment and protecting our waterways," Kaptur said in a statement.