INDOT OKs Toll Road Ramp Designs
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA program to replace aging Indiana Toll Road infrastructure is moving forward. The Indiana Department of Transportation has approved designs for three ramp bridges where the toll road, Borman Expressway and State Road 51 meet in Lake County. September 10, 2013
News Release
PORTAGE, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has approved ITR Concession Company (ITRCC) design concepts to rebuild three aging ramp bridges within the footprint of the Lake Station interchange, where the Indiana Toll Road, the Borman Expressway and State Road 51 converge.
The complex dual interchange first opened to traffic in 1965. Construction will remove or replace the bridges' steel beams, railings and crumbling concrete deck. Portions of the existing abutments and vertical piers will be replaced or rehabilitated based upon their condition. New concrete railings and wider bridge shoulders will provide improved safety.
The three bridges being replaced are:
-Structure BHX-A: A bridge on the westbound entry ramp over the Indiana Toll Road
-Structure BHX-B: A bridge on the westbound exit ramp over the Indiana Toll Road
-Structure 5262: A bridge over the Borman Expressway for the road interconnecting to the Indiana Toll Road
Pending FHWA concurrence, ITRCC will bid multiple contracts over the next several months with construction scheduled to begin in late 2013 or early 2014. The construction will require several months of temporary ramp closures but minimal impacts to the mainline of the Indiana Toll Road with travel lanes fully open during daylight hours.
ITRCC operates and collects tolls on the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road under a 75-year lease with the Indiana Finance Authority. The Indiana Toll Road Oversight Board meets quarterly to monitor the ITRCC’s compliance with strict operating standards in the lease agreement.
Sources: The Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Toll Road Concession Co.