In East Chicago, officials gathered to join Mayor Anthony Copeland Tuesday, December 12th for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Aldis Avenue roundabout.

The newly-constructed project was designed to help regulate traffic, not only for everyday motorists, but also those heading to the nearby ArcelorMittal steel plant and Ameristar Casino. The project included removing the Inland Steel Overpass Bridge over Aldis, a 3-span concrete bridge that carried six lanes of traffic.

Primera provided structural analysis, civil design, drainage design, and permitting services for the removal of the existing bridge and construction of the new roundabout intersection. The team transitioned the original project scope requiring a straight-forward bridge removal and replacement to bridge removal and roundabout construction to better suit the Client’s long term vision as a Marina gateway and beautification project.

“Roundabouts provide a unique solution for a project like this,” explains Brad Minnick, Primera’s Indiana Lead and the project manager for the project. “Its design helps to regulate traffic, but it will also reduce the long-term inspection and maintenance costs associated with large bridges.”

This project involved coordination with the City of East Chicago, Lake County, Indiana Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Authority, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management group. The $3-million project procured $2 Million in federal funding.

The project got underway in February of 2017 and wrapped up with the roundabout’s opening to traffic on November 29th, with landscaping maintenance continuing through June 1, 2018.