On Wednesday, July 5, employees and residents of the City of Hammond gathered for the long-awaited ribbon-cutting ceremony in celebration of the completion of the Little Calumet River trail bridge. The pedestrian bridge sits above the intersection of Calumet Avenue and River Drive and is projected to increase safety for both pedestrians and vehicles at the busy intersection off of I-94.
The project took nearly four years to complete with a few obstacles along the way due to the supply issues many faced during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the project was a much-needed addition to Northwest Indiana’s trail system and now safely connects a heavily-trafficked trail through a heavily-trafficked intersection.
The bridge was built after the City of Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. received a letter from a Munster resident about the dangerous intersection at the off-ramp of I-94. The resident called for action to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
McDermott, an avid cyclist himself, knew firsthand the dangers surrounding this section of the trail and recognized the need for change immediately.
The intersection has earned a reputation for being dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians over the years, and many residents were happy to see the solution finally come to fruition.
“Crossing Calumet Ave. is a pretty busy intersection. This helps residents have a way to use the trails without any threat of crossing an intersection like this,” Deputy Chief Executive Operator for Hammond Water Works Jaime Prieto said.
The City of Hammond collaborated with companies including Gariup Construction and Beam, Longest, and Neff, LLC (BLN) for the design and construction of the bridge. Special thanks were given to organizations such as the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission (LCRBDC), the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Congressman Frank Mrvan for their financial and federal support of the roughly $6 million project.
Though the design and technicalities surrounding the project were far from easy, the companies and organizations involved saw the need just as much as the Munster resident who put the project into motion, and the ribbon-cutting celebrated the talent and work behind the scenes that allowed the project to proceed to completion.
“We wanted to make sure that the bridge was safe for all types of pedestrians whether they be bicyclists, walkers, people with handicaps, and anyone young and old. We did everything we could to make sure that this was accessible to everyone and safe for all,” John Lewis, BLN Northern Indiana district manager, said.
Councilmen, project managers, and other heavily involved team members spoke on the process and planning behind the project.
One of the speakers, LCRBDC Executive Director Dan Repay, was given the keys to the City of Hammond as a nod of appreciation for his continued efforts to better the City of Hammond and the Little Calumet River. Repay was born and raised in Hammond and has been an integral part of bettering the city in many avenues, including his service on the City Council in McDermott’s first years as mayor.
Residents and the involved parties were thrilled to close a chapter in the construction of the bridge, and the City of Hammond and its partners are already planning the next pedestrian bridge to better the lives of Hammond residents. While it’s a large milestone in the city’s quest to improve its trails and walkways, this is still the beginning for McDermott and the City of Hammond.
“This is going to save lives. We did a good thing here. Munster – we did a good thing here at the Little Calumet River. Thank you to the Hammond City Council for making a positive impact on Northwest Indiana,” McDermott said.
To learn more about the City of Hammond, visit https://www.gohammond.com/.
