Times Staff Report

MUNSTER | The railroad crossing at 45th and Calumet avenues will be closed for three weeks for repair, once again diverting traffic in another direction.

The crossing will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Nov. 3 through Nov. 17.

Munster Town Manager Tom DeGiulio said the Canadian National Railway will dig up the crossing and install under drains, something that had not been done before.

"This will be a complete rebuild and is supposed to give us eight to 10 years of life," DeGiulio said. "Before, all they did was replace the timber crossing. We have requested the drainage issue several times."

Jim Knesek, Munster's director of operations, said it's all "muck" under the track. He said the crossing has been closed several times for repairs. He said the town has repaired the blacktop a couple of times each year and the railroad has redone the tracks, but "it didn't last."

Even though Knesek and Munster Town Councilman Mike Mellon said it may be a hassle for residents, it's something that has to be done.

"It's going to be a huge hassle for motorists and put traffic on roads that are not designed for extra traffic," Mellon said, adding that's why the town has been working to develop an overpass and underpass at that intersection.

Mellon said he didn't know how soon that work would be done. He said the town also will need to acquire some land from Munster Steel.