The Waverly Road bridge over Interstate 94 in Porter will be closed starting Monday through the end of November for deck overlay maintenance.
Rieth-Riley Construction Co. was awarded a $1,855,375.11 contract for the job, said Cassandra Bajek, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Waverly Road is one of the major north-south routes for Porter and Chesterton. Motorists are being directed to Wagner Road and Ind. 49 as alternatives over the next few months. Waverly Road will be closed between Marquart Street and Ackerman Drive.
During construction, the outside shoulders will be closed on I-94 at the Waverly Road bridge between U.S. 20 and Ind. 49. Overnight lane closures will be used on I-94 as needed to perform bridge work.
Michael Barry, Porter’s development director and building commissioner, said that the town of Porter is contributing up to $669,754.00 toward the project.
As part of the new deck overlay, an all-purpose trail will be developed. The trail will be a continuation of one recently built on the Waverly Road bridge over the Little Calumet River, just south of the I-94 overpass.
Meanwhile, construction should be finished within a month for the North Mineral Springs Road bridge over the Little Calumet River, Barry said.
The old bridge was suddenly closed on Dec. 1, 2023, when an inspection found major structural issues. North Mineral Spring Road has been closed south of U.S. 20 since then.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.