The builders of the Cline Avenue Bridge in East Chicago, Indiana, recently announced that the bridge construction project is more than halfway finished and steadily advancing towards completion.
Work on the bridge—which is owned and operated by United Bridge Partners—just marked another milestone by securing the 343rd concrete segment in its place within the bridge. With the erection of this segment—one of 685—the bridge is now intact from the west end up to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal.
When finished, the bridge will carry two lanes of traffic in and out of East Chicago over railroad tracks and the Indiana Harbor Canal. A four-lane bridge previously served as a connector for over 30 years, but in 2008 it was demolished. When complete, the new Cline Avenue Bridge will be 6,236 ft long with 170- to 300-ft spans. The main span over the Indiana Harbor Canal will be about 316 ft.
While segment erection progresses from the west end of the mile-long new construction to the east, finishing touches are being added to the driving deck, including the addition of lighting structures, fabrication of barrier walls, and installation of the tolling system.
Since Cline Avenue Bridge construction began in June 2017, the foundations and support columns have been constructed, existing steel bridge preservation work is complete, all the segments have been fabricated, and now superstructure erection has surpassed the halfway point.
When the bridge opens to the public later this year, it will serve as the Gateway of Lake County and help reduce congestion and emissions, spur economic growth, and provide local first responders with a more efficient route while making Lake County, Indiana, more accessible to all.
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SOURCE: Cline Avenue Bridge LLC / United Bridge Partners
