The 2012 Cleveland Design Competition asked participants to transform the Lower Level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, a nearly one-mile long, century-old steel structure spanning the Cuyahoga River and connecting Cleveland’s West Side with Downtown.

Initially one of the country’s few two-level bridges, it was also one of the busiest, with cars and trucks traversing the Upper Level and passenger trolleys running below. With trolley service suspended in the mid-1950’s, the Lower Level tracks and subterranean platforms and passageways below the streets were all but abandoned, save for temporary openings during special events or festivals.

Project Team: Luke Amey, P.E.; Rodrigo Balarezo; Antoinette Belson; James Gdovin; Richard Lucas