HOBART | The City Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to back its neighbors to the north by approving a resolution supporting rebuilding the Cline Avenue bridge.

The resolution also opposes any action to permanently close the structure.

City Councilman John Brezik, D-5th, who introduced the resolution, said he was asked by an East Chicago councilwoman to support the measure.

The East Chicago City Council on Jan. 11 approved a resolution calling for a speedy replacement of the condemned Cline Avenue bridge.

The Hammond City Council and Lake County Council are among other area councils that have approved similar resolutions, Brezik said.

"They (East Chicago council members) are asking all communities to be involved," he said. "This affects all of us."

Brezik said about 30,000 vehicles on a daily basis used the bridge, a key industrial artery that leads to the steel mills.

"I thought it appropriate to support their effort in that it is an issue that affects unions and workers," he said.

Plans outlined earlier this week by Indiana Department of Transportation Chief of Staff Bob Zier are that the Cline Avenue bridge will not be demolished until at least 2011 and building a new bridge or alternate roadway would take at least three to four years to complete.

Zier also left the door open to not replacing the bridge and instead coming up with some other solution for speeding trucks in and out of steel mills and patrons to lakefront casinos.

"If there is a need to rebuild that bridge at Cline Avenue, that is what we will do," Zier said.

The Cline Avenue bridge, which was constructed in 1986, was shut down in November by INDOT when corrosion was discovered on the elevated spans.

The Hobart resolution will be sent to INDOT, the governor, the Indiana General Assembly and Northwest Indiana's state and federal legislative representatives.