The period for
public comment on two proposed changes to the 2040 Comprehensive Regional
Plan (CRP)--one of them pertaining to Ind. 49 in Duneland--has been extended
to March 21, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission said.
The public-comment
period opened on Feb. 3.
The first proposed
change would eliminate from the 2040 CRP a scheduled lane closure on
northbound Ind. 49 between the U.S. Highway 20 overpass and the U.S. Highway
12 overpass.
Chesterton Town
Council Member Jim Ton, R-1st--and NIRPC Treasurer--has told the
Chesterton Tribune that the Town of Porter had originally prevailed on
NIRPC to replace the right northbound lane of Ind. 49 with the
Dunes-Kankakee Trail, from Indiana Dunes State Park as far south as the
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center.
The Indiana
Department of Transportation objected to that closure, however, and informed
the Town of Porter that should it be put into effect, the town would have to
assume responsibility for the maintenance of that stretch of Ind. 49. The
Town of Porter subsequently withdrew its support of that lane closure and
NIRPC has proposed changing the 2040 CRP accordingly.
Meanwhile, the
second proposed change to the 2040 CRP is the addition of the expansion of
I-65 from U.S. Highway 231 to Ind. 2 and the new Cline Ave. bridge.
All comments
received will be responded to and included in a public comment report.
Following the end of the comment period, the report will be distributed to
NIRPC’s Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) and the full commission.
Action is anticipated on these items at the TPC’s meeting on April 8 and the
full commission’s meeting on April 17.