Lakewood Moving July 4th Parade

LAKEWOOD, OH — Due to construction on Lake Avenue, Lakewood is moving its annual July 4th Parade in 2019.

The parade will now start on Nicholson Avenue and move down Lake Avenue toward Belle Avenue. Staging areas for the parade will include Nicholson, Cliff Drive, Wilbert Road, and Edgewater Drive.

"The city asks that all residents please remember that this is a once-in-a-century change driven by the need to make significant infrastructure improvements on the western portion of Lake Ave. Parade life will be back to “normal” in 2020," the city said on its website.

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City officials said in a statement that they were reticent to redirect the parade, but wanted to ensure public safety and proper utilization of Ohio's construction-friendly weather.

"Unlike the eastern part of Lake Avenue completed in 2018, which only required sewer work and resurfacing, the street work between Belle Ave. and Webb Rd. involves complete waterline replacement, sewer main improvements, and resurfacing. The city currently estimates that in order to complete this project in 2019, construction work will need to occur, at a minimum, from May to November," the city said in a statement posted online.

Lake Avenue work in the Abbieshire and Belle-area was based on the Lakewood Catholic Academy school calendar. That means work won't start until June, with an estimated completion date of August.

The city said during weekdays the area around Lakewood Catholic Academy can be highly congested with traffic, particularly around 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Officials felt delaying construction in that area until July 5 would increase congestion during the school year and possibly create safety concerns.

A community meeting on the construction and changes in traffic flow should be held in May, the city said.

On July 4, resident on Nicholson, Cliff, Wilbert, and Edgewater will see the staging of the parade. That will include the warm-up of drums and pipes before they set off at 10 a.m.

A map of the staging area and new route has been shared online.

Post-parade activities will be unaffected by the route changes.