Ten roads in and around West Creek Township, the southwest part of Lake County, will see a 15-ton weight limit put in place to limit truck traffic through the area following complaints about property damage, officials said.
The roads include 81st Avenue from Sheffield Avenue to Patterson Street; White Oak Avenue from 151st and 197th avenues; 169th Avenue from the State Line Road to White Oak Avenue; 173rd Avenue from White Oak Avenue to U.S. 41; 165th Avenue to White Oak Avenue to U.S. 41; 181st Avenue from Hadders Road to U.S. 41; State Line Road from 169th Avenue to Yellow Head Township; State Line Road from 113th Avenue to Washington Township; Calumet Avenue from 185th Avenue to Indiana State Road 2 and 157th Avenue to White Oak Avenue to U.S. 41.
West Creek Township, which spans from outside of Cedar Lake to about Schneider has been increasing in population from 6,826 in 2010 to 7,676 in 2020, according to census data.
Previously, the roads had a 40-ton weight limit, said Duane Alverson, an engineer for the Lake County Highway Department. The weight decrease is meant to address truck traffic through the area, he said.
“We’re getting some truck traffic down in there, and they can’t get turned around so they’re causing some damage on these other roads and to residents’ properties,” Alverson said at the December Lake County Council meeting.
Alverson said that the complaints from residents range from lawn damage to property damage as trucks attempt to turn around in the area.
“It has caused problems on our roads, when they run off the edge of our roads,” Alverson said.
Alverson said construction traffic will be allowed through the area through a permit process.
“We’re not trying to shut off any local building or local deliveries,” Alverson said. “We will work with local contractors and issue them permits for all local deliveries. I have worked with all the local contractors in some other areas and I always issue them special load permits to get their deliveries in there, and it has not been a problem.”
Councilman Christian Jorgensen, R-St. John, said he was pleased to hear that construction won’t be impacted through the area.
“I just wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to inhibit construction traffic or deliveries through that area since it’s heavily used and impede our commerce,” Jorgensen said.
The weight limit signs will be posted early next year, Alverson said. The department is also working with the Indiana Department of Transportation to post advance warning signs on U.S. 41 and State Line Road, he said.
“We have signs on order as soon as we get them they’ll be out,” Alverson said.
