MERRILLVILLE | A safety improvement project along U.S. 30 is expected to resume in coming days, and it isn't the only roadwork planned along that busy stretch of highway.
Merrillville Public Works Director Bruce Spires said workers have started mobilizing to complete the extension and enhancement of frontage roads between McKinley Street and the traffic signal in front of Meijer.
Town Councilman Tom Goralczyk said work on the frontage roads, which are on the north and south sides of U.S. 30, is expected to begin next week. The project should be done by the end of May, he said.
But the big project starts April 1, when the Indiana Department of Transportation plans to pave U.S. 30 from Taft Street to Grand Boulevard, said Matt Deitchley, media relations director for INDOT's LaPorte District.
That project should be finished in early September, he said.
Although the two projects have similar construction areas, Spires doesn't anticipate major traffic problems on U.S. 30 while they are completed.
He said work for the two projects have been scheduled to occur at different times each day.
Paving on U.S. 30 is expected to take place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., Spires said.
"Lane restrictions will be in place during those overnight hours of work, but all lanes should be back open by morning and throughout the day," Deitchley said of INDOT's paving project.
Frontage road work will take place after paving stops and lanes are open again on U.S. 30, Spires said.
Merrillville Police Chief Joseph Petruch said he does not anticipate any traffic snarl with the construction.
"We should be OK," he said. "It shouldn't cause any additional traffic problems."
The frontage road construction initially was scheduled for completion last year, but the project was unexpectedly delayed after it was determined multiple utility lines had to be relocated.
Like last year, some of the frontage roads will be reduced to one lane while workers complete those improvements.
Officials from some businesses in the frontage road construction area have said the lane reduction confused customers and affected sales in 2012.
Frontage roads on the south side of U.S. 30 will be connected from McKinley Street to the traffic signal in front of Meijer when that project is finished.
Frontage roads on the north side of U.S. 30 also will be improved, but those roads won't be extended.
"We're getting excited," Spires said of completing the frontage road project.
Please Wait…