Major excavation work on the Irishtown Bend hillside in Cleveland has progressed since the project started in July 2023 to prepare for the installation of a bulkhead wall along the Cuyahoga River. The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (CCCPA) project is shoring up the failing slope to prevent it from sliding toward the river, potentially disrupting commercial shipping traffic that supports over 22,000 maritime jobs and the region’s economy. Serving as CCCPA’s Owner’s Representative, Wade Trim is providing full construction management and inspection services throughout the 30-month construction period that is about 15% complete.

Phase 1 of the mass grading and drainage work has removed 84,000 cubic yards of hillside fill materials which is expected to relieve stress and minimize slope instabilities. Excavation activities were carefully coordinated with project stakeholders including nearby residents; local, state, and federal agencies; and maritime users of the Cuyahoga River navigation channel. Areas of petroleum contaminated soils were removed and disposed of in approved licensed landfill facilities. Earthwork activities were also coordinated within archaeologically sensitive areas delineated during the project design as part of the Section 106 review process, a component of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Various equipment and technology are being used to monitor and document construction activities. Automated geotechnical instrumentation was installed to monitor ground movement and groundwater to provide early warning of any structure settlement or earth movement. Drones, in conjunction with ground control, enable capture of site data to create measurable 3D surfaces to calculate excavated soil volumes. In addition, two webcams, installed on the east side of the Cuyahoga River, provide 24/7 real time visual documentation of site activities for all project stakeholders.

Installation of 2,400 LF of new riverfront bulkhead with green bulkhead features is scheduled to begin this summer. The bulkhead will act as retaining wall to minimize erosion and risk of failure of the sloped area. Once completed, the $60-million project will provide the platform for a new greenspace park connecting residents to the riverfront and a riverfront trail that links the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Lake Erie.