The saga of the closed North Mineral Springs Road bridge in Porter grinds on, with unusual obstacles like how construction of the new span may have to pause for months to protect salmon in the Little Calumet River.
The bid opening for the project has been moved back to mid-September, said Michael Jabo, director of the Porter County Department of Development and Stormwater Management.
Porter County had originally planned to bid the project in May and then delayed it until this month.
“Oh wow. It just keeps moving back and meanwhile, the businesses back there keep suffering,” said Michael Barry, Porter’s development director/building superintendent.
The businesses that Barry is referring to are in the Spring House complex that includes an inn, Uno Pizzeria & Grill restaurant, a bar and banquet facilities.
The delay in replacing the bridge cuts off easy access to the complex from U.S. 20, stretching into the next summer season. That would mean a third summer in a row affected by the closed bridge.
Those wanting to access the complex can take Beam Street to North Mineral Springs Road. Barry said they have tried to help by posting detour signs on U.S. 20, but it’s hard to attract visitors to the Indiana Dunes parks who are unfamiliar with local roads.
From the start, the North Mineral Springs Road bridge has been a challenge since it suddenly closed on Dec. 1, 2023, after an inspection revealed the structure to be unsafe because of deteriorating beams.
The Porter County government hadn’t planned to replace the bridge until 2026 or 2027.
To speed the process, the county decided to forego federal funding and finance the project by itself. Jabo won’t say how much he expects the bridge will cost, but it will be millions of dollars.
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Jabo said other important preparation work for the bridge has proceeded, such as obtaining right-of-way and architectural design. The new bridge will be at a higher elevation above the river.
Then there is the key environmental issue involving the movements of Coho and Chinook Salmon between July and November.
“There are windows of time that we cannot be working in the channel, which is the Little Calumet River,” Jabo said.
Jabo said they are hoping to obtain a waiver from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources that will allow for more construction flexibility.
If the contract is awarded in September, demolition work could possibly start by the year’s end. It’s hoped that construction would be ready to proceed in the spring, Jabo said.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.