The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has announced the first of many contracts designed to address roadway and traffic concerns for the closed S.R. 912 (Cline Avenue).
Walsh and Kelly Construction Company of Griffith was the low bidder at $927,922.95 for the project to resurface the Michigan Avenue ramp to Cline Ave. in East Chicago, east of where the road is closed.
The contract is designed to mill the concrete surface of the ramp from Michigan Avenue to southbound Cline Ave. and place four inches of new asphalt in place.
Michigan Avenue from Dickey Road, including the approaches to the intersection, Block Avenue will also be patched and resurfaced with an asphalt overlay.
A temporary ramp from the Michigan Avenue to Cline Avenue just north of the existing ramp will be constructed as part of this project. Once the temporary ramp is built, traffic will use the newly constructed ramp while crews resurface the existing ramp.
Once the construction and resurface work is completed, INDOT will keep the temporary ramp in place to help alleviate traffic congestion in the area.
The temporary ramp will be for passenger vehicle traffic and the rehabilitated existing ramp will be dedicated to truck traffic.
As part of the contract INDOT has specified that the ramp work take place between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. to lessen the impact on traffic, especially during shift changes and rush hour traffic. Liquated damages will be assessed to the contractor should the work occur outside this timeframe. The work is anticipated to begin by early June with a projected completion date of August 25.