Indiana 912

[silverback1065]

What is the status of the bridge project?  I heard that the one that the state considered (routing onto Riley and Dickey roads) was abandoned. 

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Demolition of the old bridge is scheduled to be complete by the end of the month.

Once finished, INDOT is expected to back away from the project, leaving discussion of the replacement between the city of East Chicago and United Bridge Partners, the private firm responsible for building the new span. INDOT is also preparing a land swap deal for the right of way area where the new bridge is set for construction. UBP has already concluded agreements between the city of EC and the state. Source here.

The surface routing plan is all but dead, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

[silverback1065]

So will this mean that 912 won't be routed onto the new bridge?

[Alps]

The SURFACE routing is dead. The new toll road is highly likely to become 912.

[Brandon]

The SURFACE routing is dead. The new toll road is highly likely to become 912.

The King is dead, long live the King!

The demolition is done, and it will be rebuilt as a tollway.  The tolls may be as high as those for the Chicago Skyway.  The NW Indiana Times article has a video of the last part of the demolition.  The original bridge seems to have been cursed from the very beginning with the deaths of multiple workers on it all the way to the premature destruction of it.

[Alex]

Under an August agreement between INDOT and United Bridge Partners, of Tallahassee, Fla., the land swap that will give the company possession of the bridge right-of-way cannot happen until the demolition is complete.

A date will be set for the land swap following the completion of cleanup work and demobilization of contractor Walsh Construction Co. from the property, said INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield.

Do they have any idea of what the time table is for the toll bridge construction?

[silverback1065]

This project is taking forever, it always seems that the state always drags their feet when it comes to road projects in this area, the only road they seem to care about up there is the borman expressway. 

[nwi_navigator_1181]

This project is taking forever, it always seems that the state always drags their feet when it comes to road projects in this area, the only road they seem to care about up there is the borman expressway.

To be fair, INDOT already had a plan in place (routing Indiana 912 to preexisting surface streets) before the third party (UBP*) stepped in with the current offer. Once the transfer of power is complete, the onus is on UBP to construct the new bridge.

Here in Northwest Indiana, INDOT has been busy with a lot of work this past year, and none of it had to do with the Borman.

• The Re-replacement of the MLK Bridge over said expressway
• Resurfacing and rehabilitation of 4th and 5th Avenues in Gary (U.S. 12/20 west and east, respectively)
• Replacement of the Indiana 49/Vale Park Road intersection with a full diamond roundabout interchange in Valparaiso
• Bridge removal, relocation, and lowering of Indianapolis Boulevard (U.S. 41) south of I-80/94

These are among other minor works that were being done to the area. Also, with Nine Span closed in Hammond, that may encourage the UBP to speed up the construction of the new 912. As the MLK bridge proves, I'd rather see them take a little time to make sure everything goes correctly than have work hastily done wrong.

*UBP = United Bridge Partners

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Big news this evening. The Northwest Indiana Times reports that INDOT is about to conclude its land swap deal with United Bridge Partners, and work on the new span could begin as early as April.

It would take 13 to 15 months to complete, if all goes according to plan. No toll amount has yet been set.

You can read the story here.

[froggie]

Reviving this thread because of a story about a driver who apparently followed his GPS navigation and wound up driving off the demolished part of the bridge Saturday morning.  The crash killed his wife.

Big question mark is why he ignored the orange cones, road closed signs, and at least one layer of jersey barriers.  GMSV and high-res aerial and 45-degree imagery clearly shows a layer of wooden barricades plus another layer of Jersey barrier barricade just east of US 41.  From the news stories, he appeared to come from either I-90 or US 41 (couldn't tell which, but he was heading east(south)bound.

Most of the articles say a replacement bridge should begin construction this spring.

Several Chicago-area news articles about it:

http://abc7chicago.com/news/cops-driver-was-following-gps-in-crash-off-bridge-that-killed-wife/587057/

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/east-chicago/police-gps-may-have-told-couple-to-drive-off-cline/article_cbd32cd1-bb19-5adb-83a9-ee1e09bd4592.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-car-plunges-off-demolished-bridge-20150329-story.html

http://wgntv.com/2015/03/29/gps-navigation-involved-when-car-plunges-off-demolished-indiana-bridge/

[seicer]

1. Driver never updated his super-old GPS. That's the responsibility of the driver.
2. Driver deliberately ignored all signs and barricades. That's the responsibility of the driver.

Charge the driver in the involuntary manslaughter of his wife.

[silverback1065]

1. Driver never updated his super-old GPS. That's the responsibility of the driver.
2. Driver deliberately ignored all signs and barricades. That's the responsibility of the driver.

Charge the driver in the involuntary manslaughter of his wife.

totally agree, no excuse for this guy. it's clearly marked with many barriers that it's closed.

[silverback1065]

I've never seen a white "detour" shield before: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.655373,-87.507963,3a,15y,293.21h,82.93t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1svzdH8aSMo11nfxdQiqJLWg!2e0

I like how they were too cheap to buy a real arrow that points right, and instead took an up arrow and turned it right.

[NWI_Irish96]

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/cline-avenue-bridge-project-shut-down-workers-laid-off-union-official-says/article_dc1b82d0-ea7d-598c-be92-914ff7650b53.html

This was supposed to be finished by the end of the year but now, who knows?