ChiTown Traffic Tattler

Since mid-November, Northwest Indiana commuters have been dealing with the closure of a 4-mile stretch of Cline Avenue between Calumet Avenue in Hammond and Michigan Avenue in East Chicago.

The Indiana Department of Transportation closed the section — which in the past was the scene of tragedy of some –because of significant structural damage.

The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that detailed several questions were raised about the structure’s ability to handle the traffic load after inspectors found the most severe damage between Riley Road and the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal.

But according to 2006 data from the federal government, eight bridges in worse condition than the Cline Avenue stretch remain open, the Merrillville Post-Tribune reports.

Among the eight are three bridges in Porter County. Two of them are on Indiana 49 and carry a total of more than 14,200 vehicles per day. INDOT spokeswoman Angie Fegaras said the agency has scheduled both for construction in 2011.

Lake County owns the five most structurally deficient bridges. All are less traveled, carrying a total of about 1,500 vehicles per day. The routes include 176th Avenue over Cedar Creek in Lowell, Range Line Road over the Kankakee River, State Line Road over Williams Ditch and Poplar Lane over Hart Ditch in Munster.

The 2006 Federal Highway Administration inspection reports contain 27 structurally deficient bridges in Lake and Porter counties. They all had an overall ranking of 2 or 3 on a scale from 0 to 10, with 1 being the worst. Since 2006, five of the bridges have been replaced, officials said. Several others are in the process of being replaced.

Of course, in the last few months Illinois officials opened up their bridge inspection data to the public. The Web site lists safety ratings, conditions and bridge inspection reports, which are required every two years according to federal regulations. Bridges with deficient ratings must be inspected every year. The Web site excludes bridges that are maintained by municipalities, townships, counties, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority or the Chicago Skyway.