CHESTERTON—Porter Avenue near the Coffee Creek is expected to remain closed to traffic until October for replacement of the bridge.
“By state law we have to do inspections every two years and the last inspection we had yielded sufficiency ratings of 37.9 which is considered structurally deficient,” Raymond Riddell, director of engineering for the Porter County Engineering Department, said. “That put the bridge high on our list of priorities. It doesn’t mean it will fall down tomorrow, it just means it needs to be taken care of.”
The bridge was originally built in 1963, he said. It is east of Calumet Avenue and west of Wilson Street.
Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg said that the closure may mean an inconvenience for travelers in the short term, but the outcome will be satisfying.
“I compliment the county on being proactive instead of reactive. It’s a little inconvenience having to detour through Morgan Park, but in the long run we’re far better to plan ahead instead of having something happen,” said Schnadenberg.
Riddell says that the project began prior to the closing on March 25 as NIPSCO moved utilities and current work also involves utility transfer and construction preparation.
“We are scheduled to open to traffic on Oct. 17. The closing now is to prepare with tree clearing and utility relocation, and the major construction should begin about the middle to late April,” Riddell said.
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The bridge replacement is funded 80 percent through a NIRPC grant and 20 percent through county funding and Riddell said the county has been working closely with the town to make the bridge a beautiful entryway into Chesterton’s downtown.
“The road will be widened with sidewalks on both sides,” Riddell said. “The roadway will be 28 feet wide and the sidewalks will be 5 feet 8 inches on each side. We worked with the town of Chesterton to pick out a guardrail that will be aesthetically pleasing.”
The contractor on the project is Ellas Construction of Gary, Riddell said.