CLEVELAND — The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) has announced that service on the Waterfront Line will remain suspended for approximately one more year due to safety concerns.
The safety concerns, which prompted RTA to close the line in September of 2021, revolve around the Waterfront Line Bridge located on the East Bank of the Flats, extending over Front Street and the Norfolk Southern Rail tracks.
Since closing the Waterfront Line to transit service, RTA says it has implemented four interim support towers to stabilize the bridge until a permanent solution is designed and built.
The design phase of the repairs to the bridge and retaining walls has been completed. The project is currently in procurement with bids due next week.
RTA says it will be unable to provide Browns fans alternative service to home games this year due to normal game day congestion and street closures. Fans riding the Red, Green or Blue Lines to Tower City are directed to walk north on West 3rd Street to First Energy Stadium.
The goal is for the repairs to be completed in time for the start of the Browns 2023 season.
"RTA apologizes for any inconvenience this closure may cause. However, the safety of our riders, staff and the public remain our top priority," the company wrote in a release on Tuesday.
The Waterfront Line, an extension of the Blue and Green Lines, was opened in 1996. It travels from Tower City along the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. It ends at the South Harbor Station in the Municipal Parking lot.
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