Sealed off for the vast majority of the year, the Veterans Memorial Bridge’s lower level offers a rare glimpse at Cleveland’s past. Old metal tracks line the floors, a long walking path gives expansive views of the city skyline and original subway-tiled station spaces are visible where the bridge meets the ground. There are even parts of old cars around to tour.
It’s a peek into the city’s former streetcar system, which ran in the space when the bridge opened in 1918, all the way up to 1954.
But every year, the bridge opens to the public — and this year, it’ll be open on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22.
“Since 1954, this lower level hasn’t been used with any regularity outside of special events or temporary access,” says Cuyahoga County Senior Advisor for Transportation Annie Pease. “It's been a shuttered space. And the popularity of these events speak to the significance for people, of Cleveland's history — of being proximate to the Cuyahoga River, of having a view of Lake Erie, of being proximate to Downtown — while you're wrapped in this space that means so much to Cleveland history. It’s a piece of our identity.”
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Last year, Pease says the event drew 9,000 attendees, and she expects even more this weekend. In addition to the history and transit fans, the event will draw Clevelanders with its Go Dream art installation from Northeast Ohio-based artist Chuck Karnak. The light and sail-inspired displays will hang overhead, providing an ever-changing colorful creation to enjoy, along with DJs and music performances at four stages.
Karnak, an IngenuityFest organizer, has been involved with Veterans Memorial Bridge since 2009. Back then, he worked with artist and organizer James Levin to create a pilot called The Bridge Project, which examined a potential transformation of the bridge into a usable public space.
Since then, he’s been involved in art installations hosted on the Veterans Memorial Bridge — all of which drew big audiences.
“We realized that the public was really enthusiastic about this space, its history, the unique features of its architecture. It really lent itself to be a connected space for all,” Karnak says. “I’m really familiar with the space. So when the call for proposals came up, I was really excited about it, to have an opportunity to get back to the bridge. It’s just kind of a dream of mine. That's where the original title, Go Dream, came from.”
Beyond the temporary Go Dream exhibit this weekend, Clevelanders will have a few more opportunities to visit Veterans Memorial Bridge this summer. The space will also be open for public visits for “Take a Hike” tours that are scheduled for the second Sundays of the month: July 14, Aug. 11 and Sept. 8.
Mera Cardenas, the executive director of Canalway Partners, will work as a Take a Hike tour guide during those July, August and September events.
“Clevelanders love to take pictures of this bridge. I think when you’re under here, you get a greater appreciation for the incredible craftsmanship that went into the construction,” Cardenas says.
Cardenas points out that the bridge is a link between two developing park spaces in Cleveland: the Canal Basin Park and Irishtown Bend. Potentially, the Veterans Memorial Bridge will also see development in its future, thanks to a $7 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant.
Soon, a consultant team will examine the feasibility of turning the lower level walkway into a public park — a process that will likely take two or three years, says Nichole English, Cuyahoga County’s planning and programming administrator.
“People have been talking about it for ages, but now we’re here, I believe,” English says. “We’ve never had that kind of capital to work on the actual project. So it’s real. I think it’s here.”
Despite the bridge’s history for quickly shuttling people over the Cuyahoga River, organizers likely aim to create a slower, more intentional public space for pedestrians and cyclists — one that still highlights its place in Cleveland’s past.
“I think when you have a space that is a little bit slower, you’re more focused on the experience than on the destination,” Cardenas says. “Depending on where planning studies tell us where we could go, I think in what ever way it develops as a connector space — but not necessarily something where you zoom through, and you’re done. I think it is an experience where it helps you slow down and helps you understand the city.”
Visitors can check out the bridge from 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, and from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday. All attendees must fill out a waiver ahead of time; find more information here.
See more photos from the bridge:
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