The long days of summer spell highway improvement projects across Northwest Indiana.
At 9 a.m. on July 21, the Indiana Department of Transportation will start overnight lane closures on Interstate 94 just east of Indiana 49 by Chesterton to U.S. 421 near Michigan City, according to a news release.
Contractor Milestone Construction will close lanes to set up a new traffic configuration that allows for the paving of the highway.
Alternating lane closures are scheduled from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. INDOT said motorists should be prepared for changing traffic layouts.
The new traffic configuration will shift eastbound traffic to the eastbound side of the highway with two lanes shifted to the right.
Beginning July 25, westbound traffic will be shifted to use counterflow lanes on the eastbound side of I-94 just east of U.S. 421. Westbound traffic will switch back over to the westbound side near Indiana 49.
The configuration will remain in place through late August for resurfacing operations.
INDOT said the traffic switch is dependent on the completion of bridge repairs on the County Line Road bridge over I-94.
Once complete, the work zone configuration on I-94 will change. The earliest dates that might occur will be Monday for eastbound traffic and July 24 for westbound traffic, said INDOT spokeswoman Cassandra Bajek on Wednesday.
Two travel lanes will be maintained in each direction during construction with lane shifts in the location of the work zone.
Construction will continue over a two-year period and also includes asphalt resurfacing on I-94 near U.S. 421; concrete pavement restoration on I-94 east of Indiana 49 to three miles west of U.S. 421.
There will be bridge painting on County Road 500E, County Line Road (Porter/LaPorte) and U.S. 421. All three span I-94.
Also in Porter and LaPorte counties, INDOT plans lane closures on Indiana 2 from County Road 1100W and County Road 600E beginning Monday.
Indiana 2 will be reduced to one lane through mid-August for a bridge deck overlay maintenance project at Forbes Ditch.
In Lake County, the ramp from southbound Cline Avenue to westbound I-80/94 will close about midnight on July 27 for pavement improvements.
It’s expected to reopen by noon on Aug. 14.
A detour will direct drivers to eastbound I-80/94 using the Burr Street interchange to turn around and access the westbound highway.
The northbound Cline Avenue ramp to westbound I-80/94 is scheduled to close July 27. It will remain closed through mid-September for an unrelated project, INDOT said.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
