The city of Gary began a major investment in Ridge Road Tuesday morning, Mayor Eddie Melton said.
Melton, other city officials and Lake County Commissioner Kyle Allen announced resurfacing efforts along Ridge Road, one of Gary’s “most prominent and heavily traveled corridors.”
“Anyone who drives through our city knows how critical Ridge Road is,” Melton said. “It doesn’t just connect our neighborhoods — it connects our communities across Lake County.”
The county-led project costs $1.6 million, according to a city of Gary announcement, and it will take two phases. The first will include resurfacing work on Ridge Road from Colfax to Whitcomb streets, and the second will extend from Whitcomb Street to Richard Gordon Hatcher Boulevard, previously known as Grant Street.
The first phase began Tuesday morning, and the second is scheduled to begin next year.
“A project of this scale and this caliber doesn’t just happen overnight,” Melton said. “They require a partnership.”
Allen believes the project not only improves local infrastructure, but it will also improve economic development, create more jobs and improve safety within Lake County.
The work wouldn’t be possible without collaboration, he said.
“This is just one of many things that we work and collaborate on,” Allen added. “Let’s get to work.”
In addition to the resurfacing project, the city will also mill and pave Ridge Road from Hatcher Boulevard to Harrison Street, which is expected to start in mid-June and cost $393,951.63.
William Allen, Gary city engineer, said Tuesday that the updates will be a structural resurface, which will take away and replace 4 inches of asphalt. The updates also include thermal plastic striping and improvements to ramps in the area.
Gary will also update traffic signals and stop signs along Ridge Road from Hatcher Boulevard to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which will cost $166,680.
William Allen said the city conducted a study last year that found Gary has about 100 intersections throughout the city, and about 88 don’t have enough traffic volume to warrant signals. Those intersections will have their traffic signals decommissioned and replaced with either standard or blinking stop signs.
“We try to think about the future with more businesses and residents coming in,” William Allen said. “We’re not going to just do a clean sweep and remove all of our traffic signals, but this is part of our efforts to improve infrastructure because we know the importance of improving it.”
The city’s total contributions to roadway and traffic improvements come in at $560,631.63, according to Gary officials.
During road work, drivers should expect temporary lane closures, delays and construction activity throughout Ridge Road. The city will provide updates about construction schedules and traffic impacts throughout the project’s progress.
“I’m asking all our residents and visitors, please slow down,” Melton said. “We want the protection of our workers to be ensured. Let’s keep the construction crew safe while they work to improve our city.”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
