The summer travel season will open with motorists finding the usual road repair projects slowing traffic in some places and major construction projects snarling it to a standstill in others.

It will be a little easier to negotiate the construction mess at the Borman/Interstate-65 interchange as one major bridge project will be completed next week, according to Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Joshua Bingham.

The northbound I-65 bridge, which passes over CSX railroad tracks and the ramp to the westbound Borman Expressway, should be open to traffic before July 4, Bingham said. Northbound motorists now must switch lanes onto the southbound bridge to get over those two obstacles if they want to get to the eastbound Borman.

The end of that lane switch will mean one less construction detour. Also, the end of restrictions and return to normality at the Ridge Road/I-65 ramps just south of the interchange will mean the elimination of further confusion there.

Improvements in the situation can't come too soon for motorists, many of whom avoid the interchange entirely and will continue to do so until the $187 million project is completed in early December.

"People just hate it," said Vonnie McClendon, who gets an earful from customers as she works the counter at the Marquette Perk and Coffee Shop in Miller. "It's so inconvenient."

McClendon and many others have strayed from state-approved detours to get around the mess. Many are taking County Line Road and other assorted byways all the way from Miller to U.S. 30 in Merrillville.

For those who like to take their travel messes head on, there still will be plenty of closed ramps, lane restrictions and detours at the Borman/I-65 interchange until December.

The ramp from northbound I-65 to the eastbound Borman will still be restricted to one lane; demolition of the southbound I-65 bridge over the CSX tracks and ramp soon will begin; and several ramps along with a 1.5-mile stretch of I-65 will remain closed.

There will be no on-road construction from July 3 to 5 because of the holiday.

U.S. 6 in Porter County

Work is continuing on the western half of the U.S. 6 reconstruction project between Union Street in Hobart and Scottsdale Avenue in Portage.

Angie Fegaras, of the INDOT LaPorte District, said Monday that crews from Rieth-Riley Construction are working six days per week on the western segment of the project that will expand the once two-lane highway to four travel lanes with a fifth center turn lane. The construction project is on schedule.

For the July 4 holiday weekend, construction on the project will be suspended about noon July 3 and will resume July 7.

The project is not expected to be completed until next year.

Work is wrapping up on the eastern half of the project from Scottsdale Avenue to just east of Ind. 149. Fegaras said the work is "basically complete" minus some landscaping and a few minor projects that should not affect travel through the area.

Ill. 394

Motorists can expect lane restrictions and some delays as work will continue until late fall on several projects along a stretch of Ill. 394 from Interstate 80 south to Ill. 1.

Resurfacing and bridge joint repair is taking place starting at Joe Orr Road south to Steger Road as part of a $4.9 million project. Another $2.5 million project involves the insertion of high-tension median cable and lighting along the same stretch of road.

"We just want to remind everyone to proceed with caution," said Illinois Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marisa Kollias. "It's summertime and we've already had a couple of fatalities and we don't want to see that increase as the summer goes on."

109th Avenue in Winfield

The five-month closing of a major east-west thoroughfare between Winfield and Crown Point is contributing to driving headaches already present in Winfield.

The Lake County Highway Department two weeks ago closed 109th Avenue at Colorado Street for bridge repairs in a project expected to last five months. The county is detouring traffic north on Colorado to 97th Avenue, then east to Randolph Street.

But some Winfield residents are experiencing a bit more inconvenience because only three of the town's roads -- Colorado, Arizona, and Grand -- run north from 109th, and Arizona and Grand present additional problems.

Arizona runs from 109th to 101st Avenue, but 101st running west has been closed for the past six months because of flooding. Merrillville Public Works Director Bruce Spires has said 101st will not reopen any time soon.

And Grand Boulevard, although passable, needs major repairs, which Winfield officials hope to begin at summer's end.

Interstate 94 in Porter County

Eastbound traffic on Interstate 94 between the Lake/Porter county line and Ind. 49 was switched to newly paved right and center lanes last week as resurfacing progresses.

After work is completed on the eastbound side, westbound I-94 will be restricted to two lanes until completion in late August.

The work schedule is subject to change due to weather. INDOT reminds motorists to use caution, obey the lowered speed limit, and consider worker safety when traveling through a highway construction zone.

Times Correspondent Ann Marie Campbell contributed to this report.