Port of Cleveland completes Irishtown Bend stabilization, clearing path for riverfront park and trail construction

Stabilization work targets long-standing landslide risk along the Cuyahoga ship channel

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has completed the Irishtown Bend stabilization project, a major infrastructure effort intended to reduce landslide risk along a critical stretch of the Cuyahoga River’s navigation channel and prepare the hillside for future public use.

The slope, located on the West Bank of the Flats, has been considered vulnerable for years because of geologic conditions and historic fill placement that increased pressure on the hillside. The instability contributed to the closure of Riverbed Road in the late 2000s and raised concerns about potential impacts to river commerce and nearby public utilities.

What was built and why it matters for shipping and utilities

The project’s central element is a new bulkhead and earth-retention system designed to reinforce the river’s edge and help prevent material from sliding into the ship channel. Construction work included installation of an anchored steel wall system with pipe piles, sheet piles and tieback anchors, as well as large volumes of stone backfill and excavation to reshape and reduce forces acting on the slope.

By stabilizing the bank, the project is intended to protect maritime access to upstream industrial users that depend on bulk shipping, while also reducing exposure for adjacent infrastructure in the corridor, including sewer assets serving the city’s West Side.

• Location: Irishtown Bend hillside on the Cuyahoga River, West Bank of the Flats
• Primary purpose: reduce slope-failure risk and protect the navigation channel
• Core components: reinforced bulkhead/retaining system, excavation and backfill, anchored structural elements

How the completion fits into a larger riverfront buildout

The stabilization is the first of three sequential efforts tied to a broader plan for a new Irishtown Bend Park and expanded trail connectivity between neighborhoods, downtown and the lakefront. The next phase is planned trail and streetscape work commonly described as the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Trail and Franklin Avenue enhancements, with construction expected to begin in spring 2026 and continue into 2027.

The final phase—construction of Irishtown Bend Park—is planned as a roughly 25-acre public green space that would add overlooks, gathering areas and riverfront access. Park development has advanced through a mix of public and philanthropic funding, including a $10.8 million federal award announced in 2024 through the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, structured with matching support from project partners.

With stabilization complete, agencies can move from hillside protection to the next steps of trail construction and park development planning.

What happens next

With the stabilization finished, the timeline now shifts to trail construction in 2026–2027 and phased park construction beginning in 2027 and extending into the later 2020s. Separate governance and land-transfer actions involving public and nonprofit partners are expected to continue as the project transitions from infrastructure protection to long-term public waterfront use.