Interstate 480 (Ohio)

Interstate 480 (I-480) is a 41.77-mile-long (67.22 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-80 in the U.S. state of Ohio that passes through much of the Greater Cleveland area including the southern parts of the city of Cleveland. I-480 is one of 13 auxiliary Interstate Highways in the state. The western terminus of I-480 is an interchange with I-80 and the Ohio Turnpike in North Ridgeville. Starting east through suburban Lorain County, I-480 enters Cuyahoga County, then approaches Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which serves as the primary airport for Northeast Ohio. After traversing Brooklyn and crossing the Cuyahoga River on the Valley View Bridge, the highway continues east towards the communities of Bedford and Twinsburg toward its eastern terminus at I-80 and the Ohio Turnpike in Streetsboro. On its route, I-480 crosses I-71 and I-77 and is concurrent with I-271 for approximately four miles (6.4 km). In 1998, the Governor of Ohio, George Voinovich, gave I-480 the additional name of the "Senator John Glenn Highway", in honor of the former NASA astronaut and a U.S. Senator from Ohio for 24 years.[1]

Interstate 480
Outerbelt South Freeway Senator John Glenn Highway[1]
I-480 and I-480N highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-80
Maintained by ODOT
Length	41.77 mi[2] (67.22 km)
Existed	1971–present
Major junctions
West end	I-80 / Ohio Turnpike in North Ridgeville
	I-71 in Brook Park I-77 in Independence I-271 in Bedford Heights
East end	I-80 / Ohio Turnpike / SR 14 in Streetsboro
Location
Counties	Lorain, Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Ohio Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← I-475 → I-490

Parts of I-480 were to have been I-271 and/or I-80N.[3]

Route description

The freeway runs concurrently with I-271 for two miles (3.2 km). I-271 and I-480 are the only two three-digit Interstates in the nation that run concurrently with each other for any distance. This is because I-80 was concurrent with I-271 until 1971, when I-80 was routed back on to the turnpike and replaced by I-480.

Due to the convergence of these high traffic roads, congestion is common during peak times. They run concurrently through Bedford Heights, Bedford, and Oakwood in Cuyahoga County. Because of that, the Ohio Department of Transportation started a $120 million widening project in 2016, expanding the concurrency to five lanes in each direction. The project is expected to be completed in late 2020.[4][5]

I-271/I-480 north of the Broadway/Forbes interchange in 2002

The Valley View Bridge, which is 212 feet (65 m) high and spans 4,150 feet (1,260 m),[6] carries I-480 across the Cuyahoga River valley. It is the busiest crossing in the state of Ohio with approximately 180,000 cars per day. An expansion and deck replacement project began in 2018, which includes building a third bridge between the existing bridges to allow for deck replacement of the existing bridges with minimal disruption of traffic. When completed, scheduled for 2024, plans call for the bridges to carry six lanes of traffic in each direction.[7]

History

I-480 was conceived as a means of giving motorists a faster way of crossing Cleveland's southern borders and suburbs.[8][9] The first segment of the route was partially concurrent with I-271, and constructed simultaneously with that highway in 1965.[10] Planning for the route was largely finished by 1968, and construction began on its first mile began at the highway's interchange with I-77 in 1970.[9]

The segment from Bedford west to Maple Heights opened in November 1976.[11] The segment from Maple Heights west to Brooklyn Heights opened in January 1978.[12]

Construction from west to east began as political controversies and engineering work were resolved on the highway's middle section. I-480 between I-80 and I-71 was completed in 1983.[13]

The two miles (3.2 km) of the route north and northeast of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport proved the most difficult to plan due to existing high levels of traffic on Brookpark Road and the expansion requirements of the airport.[9]

The final $115 million (equivalent to $253 million in 2019[14]),[15] 2.5-mile (4.0 km) segment linking the east and west ends of I-480 was finished in August 1987.[16]

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Lorain	North Ridgeville	0.00	0.00	—	I-80 / Ohio Turnpike west – Toledo	Exit 151 on I-80 / Turnpike
		0.90	1.45	Ohio Turnpike Toll Plaza
		1.16	1.87	1	SR 10 west to US 20 – Oberlin, Norwalk	Western end of SR 10 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		2.03	3.27	2	SR 10 east (Lorain Road) to I-80 / Ohio Turnpike east	Eastern end of SR 10 concurrency
Cuyahoga	North Olmsted	3.67	5.91	3	Stearns Road
		6.15	9.90	6	SR 252 (Great Northern Boulevard) – North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls	Signed as exits 6A (south) and 6B (north) westbound
		7.57	12.18	7	Clague Road – Westlake, Fairview Park	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Cleveland	9.44	15.19	9	SR 17 (Brookpark Road) / Grayton Road – Hopkins Airport	Eastbound ramps to SR 17; westbound to Grayton Road
		10.17	16.37	11	I-71 (via Berea Freeway) – Cleveland, Columbus	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; exit 238 on I-71
		10.17	16.37	10	SR 237 south (Berea Freeway) – Hopkins Airport, Berea	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		10.71	17.24	11	I-71 south – Columbus	No eastbound exit; exit 238 on I-71
		11.60	18.67	12A	West 150th Street — Brook Park	Westbound exit only
		12.71	20.45	12B	West 130th Street / West 150th Street — Brook Park	150th Street not signed westbound; signed as exit 12 eastbound
	Brooklyn	13.79	22.19	13	Tiedeman Road — Brooklyn
	Cleveland	15.21	24.48	15	To US 42 / Ridge Road – Parma
		16.49	26.54	16	SR 94 (State Road) to SR 176 south
		17.76	28.58	17A	SR 176 north – Cleveland	Signed as exit 17 eastbound; exit 16 on SR 176
	Brooklyn Heights	18.03	29.02	17B	SR 17 (Brookpark Road) to SR 176 south – Brooklyn Heights	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Independence	20.05	32.27	20	I-77 to Rockside Road – Akron, Cleveland	Exit 156 on I-77; signed as exits 20A (south) & 20B (north)
	Cuyahoga River	20.59– 21.39	33.14– 34.42	Valley View Bridge
	Garfield Heights	21.72	34.95	21	Transportation Boulevard / East 98th Street
		22.92	36.89	22	SR 17 (Granger Road)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; no entrance from SR 17 east
		23.85	38.38	23	SR 14 (Broadway Avenue) – Garfield Heights
	Cleveland	24.58	39.56	24	Lee Road – Maple Heights	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Warrensville Heights	26.03	41.89	25A-B	Warrensville Road — Bedford, Warrensville Heights	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; signed as exits 25A (south) and 25B (north)
	Warrensville Heights–Bedford Heights line	26.03– 26.55	41.89– 42.73	25C	SR 8 / SR 43 (Northfield Road)	Eastbound access via frontage roads originating from exit 25A
		26.31	42.34	26	To I-271 north / US 422 – Erie PA, Warren	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance via I-480N
	Bedford Heights	27.94	44.97	26A	Rockside Road	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		28.02	45.09	26B	I-271 north – Erie PA	Western end of I-271 concurrency; eastbound exit via exit 26
	Oakwood	30.99	49.87	23	SR 14 west (Broadway Avenue) / Forbes Road	Western end of SR 14 concurrency
		32.06	51.60	21	I-271 south – Akron, Columbus	Eastern end of I-271 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Summit	Twinsburg	36.30	58.42	36	SR 82 – Aurora, Macedonia, Twinsburg
		36.99	59.53	37	SR 91 – Twinsburg, Hudson, Solon
Portage	Streetsboro	41.63	67.00	41	Frost Road
		42.45	68.32	42	SR 14 east – Ravenna	Eastern end of SR 14 concurrency
				–	I-80 / Ohio Turnpike – Youngstown, Toledo	Exit 187 on I-80 / Turnpike
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

Interstate 480N

Interstate 480N
Location	Maple Heights–Warrensville Heights
Length	1.99 mi[17] (3.20 km)
Existed	1974–present

The spur freeway connecting I-480 to I-271 and US 422 is officially designated as Interstate 480N, by the Ohio Department of Transportation.[18][19] It is currently signed as I-480 on interchange signs, and is signed as I-480N on mile markers.[20]

A view of Interstate 480N about halfway through the route.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Cuyahoga County.

Location	mi[17]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Maple Heights	0.00	0.00	–	I-480 west – Cleveland, Toledo	Exit 26 on I-480
North Randall	0.53– 0.78	0.85– 1.26	1	Miles Road – North Randall, Bedford Heights
Warrensville Heights	1.29	2.08	—	I-271 north (Express Lanes) to I-90 – Erie, PA	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	1.63	2.62	–	I-271 south to I-480 east – Columbus	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit 27A on I-271; exit 13A on US 422
			—	I-271 north / US 422 west (Local Lanes) to Harvard Road / Chagrin Boulevard	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; exit 27B on I-271
	1.99	3.20	–	US 422 east – Warren	Exit 13B on US 422
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

References

1. McIntyre, Michael K. (September 22, 1998). "I-480 Is Renamed in Honor of Glenn". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved April 12, 2010 – via Newsbank.
2. Federal Highway Administration (October 31, 2002). "Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
3. Ohio Department of Highways (1958). "Cleveland" (Map). 1957–1958 Biennial Report. Scale not given. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. Retrieved April 2, 2008 – via Roadfan.com.
4. Christ, Ginger (August 2, 2016). "I-271 widening project in southern Cuyahoga County will last four years". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
5. "I-271 widening". Transportation.Ohio.gov. Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
6. kurumi (November 7, 2005). "Interstate 480". kurumi.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
7. Segall, Grant (March 4, 2018). "Work begins on new I-480 Valley View Bridge and the old ones". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
8. Cuyahoga County, Ohio (April 1961). "Route Location Studies: Outer Belt South Freeway, Broadview Road to Outer Belt East Freeway (Report Number 3)". Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
9. Kelly, Michael (March 29, 1970). "Hopkins' Needs Impede Freeway". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. pp. A1, A13.
10. Thoma, Pauline (August 13, 1976). "I-480 Two Years Late". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. p. B2.
11. "Ramps to Broadway at I-480 Will Open". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. November 17, 1976. p. 7.
12. "Snow Is Spreading Its Misery". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. January 21, 1978. pp. A1, S6.
13. Thoma, Pauline (August 12, 1984). "For a Freeway, I-480 Creeps". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. p. A23.
14. Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2020). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved September 22, 2020. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
15. Diemer, Tom (March 18, 1983). "City–State Pact Frees Road Funds". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. p. B22.
16. "Station Manager Pumped Up Over I-480". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. August 9, 1987. p. A18.
17. "Technical Services Straight Line Diagrams". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
18. "Technical Services Straight Line Diagram for I-480N" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation.
19. "Cuy". ODOT Routes in Cuyahoga County. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
20. Google (August 2016). "I-480N mile marker". Google Street View. Google. Retrieved May 15, 2017.

External links

• Interstate 480 (Ohio) Endpoint Photos