Feb 5, 2026 - Development

Irishtown Bend hillside no longer at risk of tumbling into the Cuyahoga

Sam Allard

A red crane and construction equipment on a riverbank with steel pipes and wooden planks, near a waterway with docks and urban bridges in the background under overcast sky. — The steel for the new bulkheads represented half of the project's total cost. Photo: Courtesy of Port of Cleveland

The Port of Cleveland has finished stabilizing the crumbling hillside along the Cuyahoga River, clearing the way for the hotly anticipated Irishtown Bend Park.

Why it matters: For years, erosion and hillside movement raised fears of a catastrophic collapse that could have dumped soil into the river and blocked the shipping channel — jeopardizing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic impact.

The work was "not the most glamorous," the Port's Linda Sternheimer tells Axios, but it was a prerequisite for the park's development.

State of play: The $65 million project involved driving 203 steel pipe piles into the river bottom and securing them with steel plates to create durable bulkheads.

This required elaborate coordination, Sternheimer says, as the Cuyahoga River has remained an active commercial waterway since the Port broke ground in August 2023.

Flashback: The Port began planning for the project more than a decade ago, following signs of continuous hillside movement that forced road closures and posed safety risks.

After an underwater bulkhead survey in 2015, the Port spent years planning and amassing grant funding.

What's next: The Port will ceremonially pass the torch to Cleveland Metroparks next week.

Metroparks told WKYC that work crews would begin to mobilize in May or June.

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Irishtown Bend hillside no longer at risk of tumbling into the Cuyahoga

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