Groundbreaking to Kick Off Bridge Project
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowEast Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland will join community and business leaders Thursday afternoon to break ground on an operations office and maintenance facility to kick off the Cline Avenue Bridge Project. The new bridge that will replace one that was demolished in 2013.
The Indiana Department of Transportation closed the original bridge, which spans the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, in 2009. One month later, it was condemned after inspectors deemed it structurally unsafe. The state spent $9 million to demolish the bridge.
The city of East Chicago and INDOT signed an agreement with California-based United Bridge Partners for the project. UPB will build, own and operate the new bridge, which the Lake County IN Economic Alliance says is a key link to I-90 and I-80/94.
The LCEA says the overall bridge project will cost approximately $150 million and is expected to be complete by the summer of 2019. The ground breaking ceremony will be held at 3:00 p.m. local time.