Ohio’s Inner Belt Bridge could have bike lane after all

Perhaps Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland may have the urge to bike over the new Inner Belt Bridge some day. Some of his supporters certainly have that dream, and after facing some pressure the state leader is ordering the Ohio DOT to conduct a study to see if such a multipurpose lane is feasible.

ODOT decided against providing a bike/pedestrian lane for the new span and was moving forward with the project until the governor stepped in. The highway agency cited cost, maintenance and user safety as a means to scratch the idea for the alternative transportation lane.

“But at the direction of the governor, we will take a renewed look,” Scott Varner, an ODOT spokesman, told Cleveland.com.

According to ODOT, $85 million in federal stimulus money has already been allocated for the project based on an environmental impact statement that did not include a bike lane. Any revisions to the plan now could put that federal money in jeopardy.