By Dan Hinkel, Times of Northwest Indiana
dan.hinkel@nwi.com
Businesses leaders along the doomed aerial expanse of Cline Avenue spent Monday absorbing the announcement that state officials plan to permanently close the current bridge structure.
Those reached by The Times voiced a wait-and-see wariness about the still-vague potential plans for recreating the traffic artery or otherwise accommodating commuters, truck drivers, casino-goers and others who used the road before it was closed in November.
"It's a very serious situation for the businesses that are on the lakefront," said Vince Galbiati, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum.
Galbiati said he hopes state officials will look beyond the reduced traffic counts that figure into the recommendation to close the bridge. Galbiati said state decisionmakers need to consider the bridge's former role as a truck route, commuter path and "congestion-reliever."
Officials should also think about environmental factors and boat traffic, Galbiati said. The bridge's total economic impact needs to factor into future decisions, Galbiati said.
"I think that's the better picture than just strictly traffic counts," he said.
Ameristar Casino Hotel East Chicago has suffered "some impact" from the bridge closure, Vice President and General Manager Pete Savage said through spokesman Reggie Dotson. Ameristar managers are working with state officials on a "permanent solution" to the problem of bringing guests and workers safely to Ameristar without the troubled span, Savage said.
"We're disappointed with the need to take Cline Avenue out of commission. However, we understand this very difficult decision and support INDOT's concern for safe passage, as the safety of our guests and our employees is always of the utmost importance," Savage said through Dotson.
ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Katie Patterson said her company, which operates a massive steel mill at the foot of the bridge, will also work with state road officials.
"ArcelorMittal supports INDOT's decision to permanently close the Cline Avenue extension, as the health and safety of our employees will always be our primary concern. Our employees should continue to use the alternative travel routes recommended by INDOT," Patterson wrote in a statement.
"ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor will not experience any business continuity issues, and we look forward to continuing to provide our customers with quality products and service," she wrote.
Managers at the BP Whiting Refinery, which is undergoing a $3.8 billion overhaul, are waiting for "greater clarity" on the state's plans, said BP spokesman Brad Etlin.
"We're monitoring this development, as we're sure other industries and neighbors are doing," Etlin said.
"Normal business operations continue, and the modernization project will continue as planned."
Labor leader Dan Murchek said a new Cline Avenue bridge should be built along the same route as the current one as quickly as possible. The Northwest Indiana Federation of Labor President said planning and engineering for the new bridge should be done immediately on an emergency basis.
"It's probably one of the most vital arteries for our steel mills, the casinos up there and it's vital for the airport and its development," Murchek said.