The Crusader Newspaper Group

Groundbreaking for Buffington Harbor road project

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and the Gary Redevelopment Commission hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on April 16, 2019 for the next phase of the Buffington Harbor Access Road project.

This phase of the project will add two new lanes, one in each direction, to a 1.3-mile-long portion of the access road and will improve access to the Majestic Star Casino and Carmeuse Lime & Stone. Two additional lanes also will be added to two bridges that cross over the Norfolk Southern and Canadian National railroad tracks.

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson expressed enthusiasm about the project. “We are excited about this new road project and how it will support Majestic Star and Carmeuse Lime already located at Buffington Harbor. Construction of the new road will have a tremendous impact on traffic flow and safety in this area. The modifications are also in line with our economic development proposal for Buffington Harbor that will translate to jobs for Gary residents.”

The project additionally includes the design of a single-lane roundabout located about 0.2 miles southeast of SR 912 (Cline Avenue). The roundabout is configured in a unique way to separate casino and truck traffic. From the northwest, trucks and casino traffic are comingled.  When approaching the roundabout, truck traffic bypasses the roundabout while casino traffic navigates through the roundabout. From the southeast, both truck and casino traffic will navigate the roundabout.

This phase of the Buffington Harbor project is funded by the Indiana Northwest Regional Development Agency and the United States Economic Development Administration. Mayor Freeman-Wilson thanked Regional Director Jeannette Tamayo, Economic Development Administration Chicago Regional office and Bill Hanna, President & CEO of the NWI Regional Development Authority among others.

Dunnet Bay Construction Company of Glendale Heights, Illinois, is the project’s prime contractor. American Structurepoint designed the new roadway addition. American Structurepoint has been involved in designing the previous three phases of the Buffington Harbor Access Road expansion that first began in 1999. Construction of the added lanes and roundabout will be completed by mid-November 2019.

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