Some Region motorists got an early Christmas present.
On Dec. 23, following a ceremonial ribbon cutting event, a procession of eager motorists were among the first to drive over the rebuilt Cline Avenue Bridge in East Chicago, which had been closed since 2009.
“As an East Chicago native, it’s particularly meaningful to be part of this project,” said Terry Velligan, general manager of operations at Cline Avenue Bridge. “Its sheer magnitude and far-reaching benefits set it apart from other infrastructure projects in the nation (and) we are truly grateful to Mayor (Anthony) Copeland and the skilled tradespeople for their diligence and perseverance that made our dream of a more connected community become reality.”
The privately funded $150 million bridge project was led by Cline Avenue Bridge LLC, which is owned and operated by United Bridge Partners, and completed in partnership with general contractor Granite Construction, engineer representative TranSystems, and project engineering firm Modjeski and Masters.
More than five years of planning and construction was involved with the project. Representatives for United Bridge Partners announced during the ribbon cutting that 10 cents of every toll collected will go to the city of East Chicago and it would maintain local visibility through partnerships with area non-profit organizations.
Project leaders say the reopened span will ease traffic on neighborhood streets and reduce travel times to and from Chicago. The state closed the bridge after it was deemed unsafe for vehicle traffic.
The new Cline Avenue Bridge is a 1.2-mile-long segmental concrete bridge connecting an existing, fully rehabilitated, half-mile steel viaduct at the east end with the existing SR 912 roadway abutment on the west end. Its two lanes support traffic going into Lake County and Chicago and is projected to service 10,000 vehicles daily.
The bridge’s main span across the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is its apex, standing at 100 feet to accommodate ship traffic.
No tolls will be charged the first 30 days and for the second month, there will be a $1 toll for E-ZPass and I-Pass users.
Tolls for vehicles with electronic payment systems beginning March 1 will be $2.50 for two-axle vehicles; $6.50 for three- to four-axle vehicles; and $10.50 for five-axle vehicles.
For pay by plate, tolls will be $5.50 for two-axle vehicles; $9.50 for three- to four-axle vehicles; and $13.50 for five-axle vehicles.
