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 Post subject: State says it will demolish Cline extension
PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:55 pm 
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http://www.post-trib.com/news/1961811,C ... 28.article

State says it will demolish Cline extension



December 28, 2009

By GITTE LAASBY, Post-Tribune staff writer
The state will demolish the closed stretch of Cline Avenue in East Chicago and Hammond rather than rebuilding the bridge, Indiana Department of Transportation Chief of Staff Bob Zier told the Post-Tribune Monday.

Traffic will be rerouted onto major streets nearby.

» Click to enlarge image

The state has decided that the Cline Avenue extension, closed since November, will not be rebuilt.
(Jeffrey D. Nicholls/Post-Tribune)



The decision came after INDOT officials met with URS Corp., the consulting firm whose report was the basis of closing the bridge on Nov. 13.

"We asked them to go back and give us a full-fledged 'What's it going to take; how much is it going to cost?'" Zier said. "We evaluated the information and decided that investing millions in rebuilding is not going to give it the lift it needs."

Zier said INDOT discussed the matter with Gov. Mitch Daniels and his staff and with local government officials and businesses to get their input on how best to make traffic flow.

"Everyone at INDOT understands the impact of this decision on residents, commuters and tourists," INDOT Commissioner Michael Reed said in a statement. "However, the structural integrity of the bridge is in such a diminished state that any combination of repair or re-construction required to meet minimum safety requirements would cost in the tens of millions of dollars and offer a lifespan that would be a fraction of that justified by the investment."

INDOT said it will work with local officials to accelerate road work and minimize disruption to the public. INDOT will also monitor traffic and start a traffic impact study to recommend prioritized lists of short- and long-term improvements to local streets, and near-term action to enhance streets and intersections.

Among the roads are Dickey Road at the railroad crossing, Riley Road and 129th Street, 129th Street at Indianapolis Boulevard, Michigan Avenue at Dickey Road and U.S. 12/Columbus Drive, and Cline Avenue ramps connecting with ArcelorMittal Steel.

"INDOT will move quickly to identify the best options for replacing the bridge. There are a number of stakeholders who count on access from all directions for their businesses, ranging from Arcelor-Mittal Steel and BP to the casinos," INDOT said in a press release Monday afternoon.

"We will work closely with the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, local officials and businesses to obtain the best thinking as to what might be the right course of action," Reed said in a statement. "Our aim is to have the options identified no later than the end of February."

INDOT said the current detour and ramp accesses will remain in place until a decision has been made on the action plan moving forward.

Westbound Cline Avenue traffic is directed to take U.S. 12 (Columbus Drive) west to U.S. 12/20 (Indianapolis Boulevard) west to Calumet Avenue south.

Eastbound traffic will be directed to take Calumet Avenue north to Indianapolis Boulevard. east to Columbus Drive east back to Cline Avenue.

As part of a six-year, three-phase inspection contract, INDOT's consultant is inspecting nine other bridges around the state, including eastbound and westbound S.R. 912 ramps over Interstate 80/84. The inspections will continue through the end of March 2010, as weather allows.

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