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In Lake County, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) says two sections of concrete restoration work will require lane and ramp closures on I-65 between the I-80/94 interchange in Gary and US 231 in Crown Point beginning on or after Saturday, March 18, 2023, and continuing through the spring and summer. There will also be ramp closures in effect for several weeks at the 80/94-Ridge Road interchange in the Gary/Hobart/Lake Station area and at I-65 and 109th Avenue and I-65 at US 231 in the Crown Point area. INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when driving through this area and follow traffic directions carefully. Motorists are also urged to slow down, exercise caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones.
Here are the details from INDOT:
Beginning Saturday, March 18, the northbound inside and outside shoulders and the southbound inside shoulder of I-65 will be closed between 61st Ave and the I-80/94 interchange (mile marker 256 to 260 – section 1 on map). These shoulder closures will be to install temporary barrier walls, build crossovers for future phases of work and prepare for traffic shifts.
After the crossovers are complete on or around April 1, work will be in the outside right lanes of southbound I-65. Three lanes for southbound traffic will be shifted to the left, with the furthest left lane using a crossover lane on the northbound side. Northbound will have three lanes of traffic shifted to the right. Work will occur in the southbound lanes through early June.
The ramp from I-80/94 eastbound to I-65 southbound to Ridge Rd and the ramp from I-65 southbound to Ridge Rd will be closed on or after March 23 through early May. The ramp from Ridge Rd to southbound I-65 will also close on or after March 23 and will remain closed through early June.
Beginning Monday, March 20, northbound and southbound traffic will each be reduced to two lanes between 137th Ave and 73rd Ave (mile marker 246 to 253 – section 2 on map). The passing lane will be closed in both directions while the contractor sets a temporary barrier wall and builds crossovers for future phases of work. The two southbound lanes will be shifted over toward the right shoulder.
When the crossovers are built, southbound will remain in the same pattern and northbound traffic will be moved over on to the southbound side of I-65 at the crossovers between U.S. 231 and U.S. 30. The ramp from northbound I-65 to 109th and the ramp from U.S. 231 to northbound I-65 will be closed during this phase. Traffic will be following this pattern through this area until the end of August.
Overnight lane closures will be utilized to set up, modify and remove the lane shifts through these work zones. Motorists should be prepared for overnight lane closures and changing traffic patterns in the area while concrete restoration work is occurring through late December.
