A lengthy elevated stretch of Cline Avenue will be closed for a minimum of six weeks after an Indiana Department of Transportation inspection discovered significant structural damage.
INDOT officials ordered the immediate closure of a 4-mile stretch between Calumet Avenue in Hammond and Michigan Avenue in East Chicago late Friday morning. INDOT spokeswoman Angie Fegaras said a recent detailed inspection raised several red flags in terms of the structure's ability to handle its current traffic load. Based on an initial evaluation of the inspection report, INDOT inspectors and engineers determined the road should be closed until further inspections and tests can be performed.
"We want to err on the side of caution," Fegaras said.
The stretch with the most severe damage is between Riley Road and the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. Fegaras said inspectors found the space where the more than 70-foot-tall concrete and steel piers meet the horizontal deck holding the pavement has sustained significant damage. She cited road salt from winters' past and contaminants from the industries surrounding the road were cited as causes.
"Areas have been corroding faster than anticipated," Fegaras said. "It's not something you can see, outside of an inspection."
The area in question is the same stretch where during construction of exit ramps in 1982, a dozen workers were killed when the structure gave way. In 1987, the road was designated the Highway Construction Workers Memorial Highway in their memory.
INDOT crews began the most recent inspection of Cline Avenue and its ramps late last month. Among that inspection's immediate recommendations is to put into place a load limit, eliminating some heavy trucks from the road. Thousands of trucks use the road each day, many of them heading to ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, which has multiple exits on Cline Avenue. Fegaras said it's unclear whether taking trucks off of the elevated section would be a temporary fix or a permanent solution.
Also unclear is the amount of work needed to bring the road back to standard. In the coming weeks, engineers will be performing a load rating analysis, which will be used to determine if something can be done to safely reopen the road or whether it's exceeded its life span, Fegaras said.
"We want to make sure it is safe for all vehicles," she said.
The last vehicle on Cline Avenue exited about 11 a.m. Friday, when crews began blocking on-ramps with snowplows, orange cones and bright signs. Detour signs were posted Friday afternoon along Columbus Drive in Indiana Harbor and Indianapolis Boulevard in Whiting and Robertsdale.
Times staff writer Vanessa Renderman contributed to his report.
