As of 1 p.m. Thursday, we are just 430 hours away from the total solar eclipse over Northeast Ohio, and the City of Cleveland hosted a news conference to prepare residents for the big day on April 8.
Mayor Justin Bibb, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, and representatives from NASA Glenn Research Center, the Great Lakes Science Center, the county and the city shared news, updates and tips to prepare for the eclipse.
Watch the complete news conference below:
In addition to sharing some important safety tips for viewing the eclipse, city officials also announced parking bans and road closures due to the expectations of large crowds.
"We are expecting a very, very, very large amount of people coming to the city of Cleveland," Mayor Bibb said.
Similar to a Browns game, several ramps will be closed beginning at around 1:30 p.m. that Monday.
"We’ve been planning for over a year," Interim Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond said. "We have people in place, specialized units in place, federal and local partners. We believe after the eclipse, it’s going to be really congested not only with vehicles, but also with people so make sure you’re properly prepared."
The nearly four minute total solar eclipse is slated to begin a little before 3:15 p.m. April 8.
Road closures and parking bans
Here is the current list of road closures and parking bans in Cleveland, from the city's eclipse information page:
- Route 2 Westbound ramps will be closed at I-90. All other ramps to the Shoreway will be open in both directions. The following road closure and parking information is subject to change as needed. Please check back for updates.
- Route 2 Westbound ramps will be closed at I-90. All other ramps to the Shoreway will be open in both directions.
- Alfred Lerner Way/Erieside will be closed from W 3rd to E 9th. There will still be access to the Great Lakes Science Center garage from W 3rd St.
- E 9th North of Erieside will be closed; both sides of E 9th Street from Erieside to the cul-de-sac will be a food truck zone.
- St. Clair and Lakeside will be a No Parking/No Stopping Zone from W 9th to E 9th.
- W 3rd, W 6th, and W 9th will be No Parking/No Stopping zones North from Superior.
- Huron and Prospect west of E 9th to Ontario will also be No Parking/No Stopping zones.
- W 25th from the Shoreway to Lorain will be a No Parking/No Stopping zone.
- W 25th from Clark to I-71 will be a No Parking/No Stopping zone. (hospital access)
- Euclid Ave from Chester to Mayfield will be a No Parking/No Stopping zone. (hospital access)
See maps of the closures here:
- Downtown Road Closure Map
- Great Lakes Science Center Road Closure Map
- Highway Closure Map
- Hospital Road Closure Map
City buildings will be closed
City officials announced Thursday that all city buildings, except for the emergency operations centers, will be closed on Monday, April 8, and city employees will be assisting at the City of Cleveland's Total Eclipse Fest event at the Great Lakes Science Center.
Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel said that the courthouse would have a half-day that Monday, with deputies being mobilized to help with the crowd of people.
Reunification centers
Due to the large crowds expected, the city is setting up three reunification centers for families to meet up if someone in the group gets lost in the crowd. Those centers are:
Downtown: Tower City, 50 Public Square
West side: Our Lady of Mount Carmel: West 70th and Detroit Avenue
East Side: 5th District Police Headquarters: East 152nd and St. Clair Avenue
Find more safety information from the city here.
Who spoke today
- Mayor Justin M. Bibb
- Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne
- Dr. Kirsten M. Ellenbogen, President and CEO, Great Lakes Science Center
- Dr. James A. Kenyon, Director, NASA’s Glenn Research Center
- Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel
- Mark Christie, Cuyahoga County Emergency Manager
- Interim Safety Director Wayne A. Drummond, City of Cleveland
- Traffic Commissioner Gordon Holmes, City of Cleveland
- Joel Freilich, GCRTA Director, Service Management
Statewide prep underway
It won’t just be Cleveland impacted by the eclipse – last week, state officials held a news conference to discuss when traffic is most delayed, and how best to prepare for the influx of thousands of eclipse watchers.
Get the details from our report below:
