LAKE COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing regarding an intersection improvement project at U.S. 41 and 151st Ave on Tuesday, October 1.

The hearing will be held at Hanover Central High School, 10120 W 133rd Ave, Cedar Lake, IN 46303. An open house will begin at 5 p.m. where the project team will be available to answer questions regarding the project. A formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m., which will include the opportunity for people to make comments about the project for the public record. The project team will also be available for questions following the presentation.

The preferred alternative for this intersection is to construct a Reduced Conflict Intersection (RCI). Instead of motorists crossing fast-moving lanes of traffic to get to the opposing lanes, drivers at a RCI turn right in the same direction of traffic, merge into the left lane, and then make a U-turn in the direction they intend to travel. The 151st Ave approaches to U.S. 41 would become right-turn only movements onto U.S. 41. Mainline left-turn movements onto eastbound and westbound 151st Ave from U.S. 41 would be maintained with the addition of concrete curb islands.

The need for this project is based on the high crash rate at the intersection of U.S. 41 and 151st Ave, especially right-angle crashes due to eastbound and westbound traffic from 151st Ave failing to yield the right-of-way to U.S. 41 traffic. The median on U.S. 41 at 151st Ave was closed to traffic in late July as an interim safety measure until an intersection improvement project can be completed.

Written comments will be accepted before the hearing, during the hearing, and for two weeks following the hearing. The final date for acceptance of written comments after the hearing is October 16, 2024. Written comments prior to and after the public hearing should be sent to Mr. Dan Delgado, Project Manager, Lawson-Fisher Associates (LFA); 525 W. Washington Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46601 or ddelgado@lawson-fisher.com.

Resources regarding RCIs: