CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team now has a look at a simple new step taken to help prevent flooding on a local highway, a problem we’ve seen again and again.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has now installed storm drain covers in a second location.

Nine drain covers have now been installed around a problem spot at I-90 and McKinley.

ODOT has seen a growing problem with storm drains along highways clogged by trash.

Weeks ago, heavy rain led to very high water on the Innerbelt when a hubcap clogged a drain.

The drain covers are designed to keep trash and debris out while allowing water to keep flowing in and off the roadway. The covers protect drainage openings under the concrete wall.

Earlier, ODOT installed the drain covers along I-90 in Bratenahl. And police there now report a lot less highway flooding.

We asked ODOT if there are plans to do this all over.

ODOT Spokesperson Amanda McFarland said,

 “At this point, there’s not a plan to widespread this everywhere. We will continue to monitor and look for situations where these might be a good fit, but there are drains in medians all over the place. It would be a very big undertaking. So, I think, at this time, we’ll just be doing them on a case-by-case basis.”

Amanda McFarland added, sometimes, so much rain falls so quickly, you might get flooding even if the drains are not clogged. She tells us that was the case, recently, in Lakewood.

Water suddenly rose to several feet deep on the highway leaving some drivers stranded and needing to be rescued.