Interstate 480 (Ohio)

Interstate 480 (I-480) is a 41.77-mile-long (67.22 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-80 in the US 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 toward 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 US 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
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-80 Toll / Ohio Turnpike in North Ridgeville
Major intersections	I-71 in Brook Park I-77 in Independence I-271 in Bedford Heights
East end	I-80 Toll / Ohio Turnpike / SR 14 in Streetsboro
Location
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Counties	Lorain, Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Ohio State Highway System Interstate US 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 were the only two auxiliary Interstates in the nation that ran concurrently with each other for any distance until 2022, when concurrencies between I-587 and I-795 and I-785 and I-840 in North Carolina were established with the designation of I-587^[4] and the completion of the Greensboro Urban Loop.^[5] 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 (ODOT) started a $120-million (equivalent to $149 million in 2023^[6]) widening project in 2016, separating I-271 traffic from I-480 traffic.^[7][8] The project was completed in 2020.^{[citation needed]}

I-271/I-480 north of the State Route 14 (Broadway)/Forbes interchange in 2002

The Valley View Bridge, which is 212 feet (65 m) high and spans 4,150 feet (1,260 m),^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

History

I-480 was conceived as a means of giving motorists a faster way of crossing Cleveland's southern borders and suburbs.^[9][10] The first segment of the route was partially concurrent with I-271 and constructed simultaneously with that highway in 1965.^[11] Planning for the route was largely finished by 1968, and construction began on its first mile (1.6 km) began at the highway's interchange with I-77 in 1970.^[10]

The segment from Bedford west to Maple Heights opened in November 1976.^[12] The segment from Maple Heights west to Brooklyn Heights opened in January 1978.^[13]

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.^[14]

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.^[10]

The final $115-million (equivalent to $296 million in 2023^[6]),^[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 Toll / 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 / 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
	Bedford			–	I-271 south – Columbus	Eastern end of I-271 concurrency; exit 21A on I-271; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Oakwood			23B	SR 14 west (Broadway Avenue) / Forbes Road	Western end of SR 14 concurrency; signed as exit 23 westbound
				22	I-271 south – Columbus	Eastbound exit; westbound entrance is exit 21 on I-271 north
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

Interstate 480N (I-480N) is officially designated as the spur freeway connecting I-480 to I-271 and US Route 422 (US 422) by ODOT.^[17][18] The highway lacks conventional confirming markers; the only shields for the route are on milemarkers.^[19] Other guide signs only refer to the routes at I-480N's termini.

A view of I-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) / 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. "Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
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. OpenStreetMap contributors (January 3, 2023). "United States of America" (Map). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
5. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 2021). "2022 Annual Meeting Report to the Council on Highways and Streets" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
6. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
7. Christ, Ginger (August 2, 2016). "I-271 widening project in southern Cuyahoga County will last four years". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
8. "I-271 widening". Transportation.Ohio.gov. Ohio Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
9. 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. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
10. Kelly, Michael (March 29, 1970). "Hopkins' Needs Impede Freeway". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. pp. A1, A13.
11. Thoma, Pauline (August 13, 1976). "I-480 Two Years Late". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. p. B2.
12. "Ramps to Broadway at I-480 Will Open". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. November 17, 1976. p. 7.
13. "Snow Is Spreading Its Misery". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. January 21, 1978. pp. A1, S6.
14. Thoma, Pauline (August 12, 1984). "For a Freeway, I-480 Creeps". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. p. A23.
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. "Straight Line Diagrams" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
18. "RT-02N-DESTAPE" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. pp. 19–20. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
19. "I-480N mile marker". Google Street View. Google. August 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2017.

External links

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 480 (Ohio)

KML is from Wikidata

• Interstate 480 (Ohio) Endpoint Photos