Tower City East Portals

About this Project

The Tower City East Portal carries both Huron Rd. and Ontario St. over the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (GCRTA) Tracks 6, 7, 8 and 10. Tracks 8 and 10 actively serve the Red, Blue and Green Lines. Track 6 and 7 are inactive, however, Track 7 was recently rehabilitated to maintain service during construction projects as necessary. Track 13 is active, outside of the portal and runs parallel to the south of face of the Track 10 portal.

The portal is a reinforced concrete structure constructed by the Cleveland Union Terminal Company in the 1920’s and concurrently with the Terminal Tower. In general, the reinforced concrete portals have been damaged by the freeze/thaw cycle and water intrusion. The portal walls adjacent to Track 8 are in critical condition and will require restoration of structural capacity. This project is to rehabilitate these structures and extend the life of the portals

Improving the collection & distribution of subsurface drainage
Replacing portions of concrete portal frames at east entrance
Cleaning out track and street level piped drainage
Adding new perforated wick drains above the portal frames.
Sealing existing concrete joints
Replacing portions of track structure within the portals

A construction crew working near a tunnel as a concrete pump with a long yellow arm pours concrete onto the structure. Scaffolding and machinery are visible.
A group of construction workers standing on scaffolding while installing and inspecting green rebar reinforcement for a large concrete repair project.
A construction site where green steel rebar is being installed along a large concrete wall. Workers and construction equipment are visible near train tracks.
A wide shot of a construction site featuring a yellow excavator, rubble, and exposed tunnel structure. Office buildings and a tower are visible in the background.
Demolition of an old tunnel section with exposed steel beams and concrete rubble on the ground. A yellow excavator is partially visible.
A close-up view of a tunnel arch under construction, showing wooden formwork and reinforcement supports for concrete pouring.