The Hammond Sanitary District and City of Hammond wishes to inform residents and motorists of the emergency closing of one lane of Michigan Avenue at Kennedy Avenue and the full closure of Kennedy Avenue immediately south of Michigan Street/US 20 in Hammond beginning on or after Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Michigan Avenue will be reduced to one lane at Kennedy for approximately 60 days to install an emergency slipline in a sewer force main. The eastbound ramp to Michigan Street will be closed from Kennedy Avenue during this emergency installation. Sliplining is a process where a new, slightly smaller flexible pipe is pulled through the existing cracked sewer pipe so that the old pipe becomes a carrier pipe for the watertight liner and fixes any leaking that is occurring.
The Sanitary District worked with the Indiana Department of Transportation to ensure one lane of US20/Michigan Street/Carroll Street is open to traffic. Both the east and west bound traffic will use the same lane with a traffic light determining when east or westbound traffic can proceed. “We are happy that Michigan Avenue is able to stay open with one lane instead of a full closure so that traffic can continue during the construction,” said Dean Button, city engineer.
“We are asking motorists to look for alternative routes if possible during the extensive lining project. We are working closely with our contractors, local utility partners, and state agencies to limit the extent of the impact to all involved,” said Milan Kruszynski, District Manager of the Hammond Sanitary District. “The roadway will return to two lanes as soon as the sewer lining is completed.”
The work is located at the 5800 block of Kennedy, approximately one-mile north of 165th Street in Hammond. Motorists are encouraged to use Chicago Street as the posted detour route around the work zone. Motorists to the East Chicago South Shore station are encouraged to use Indianapolis Boulevard instead of Michigan Avenue from the east to access the station.