CLEVELAND — With holiday travel about to heat up, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport announced Monday it has reopened its Smart Parking Garage to full capacity following years of repairs.
The structure, which had become partly dilapidated over time, had only been running with up to half of its normal spaces on any given day. The final $4.5 million construction project began in March and was completed two months ahead of schedule, per officials, meaning all of the approximately 4,000 spaces are now available for use.
"We are pleased to reopen the Smart Parking Garage to its full capacity ahead of the busy holiday travel season," Director of Port Control Bryant L. Francis, C.M., said in a statement. "This work extends the useful life of the close-in parking structure, ensuring ongoing availability for the traveling public for many years to come."
The Smart Garage is Hopkins' closest available parking facility, but back in 2019 3News was one of the first to report on ongoing safety concerns, with a source calling the issues "a catastrophe waiting to happen." Airport administrators first denied that was the case before eventually reversing course and admitting extensive repairs were needed, adding support beams to the structure shortly thereafter to prevent it from collapsing.
The decrease in parking spots was especially felt this past summer, one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. While the Smart Garage was still partly open, the airport directed passengers to off-site lots and even erected temporary lots to help ease the burden.
Work on the final phase of the Smart project included repairing or replacing concrete and joints, sealing cracks, and adding crash wall support brackets. Crews also built a new walkway between structure pillars and next to driving lanes in an effort to increase safety to pedestrians.
For those wishing to park in the Smart Garage, Hopkins says the cost is $6 for the first three hours followed by $22 per day thereafter.