Work on the West Lake Corridor commuter rail branch is set to clear a major hurdle next week.
A permanent bridge over the future extension of Main Street is scheduled to be rolled into position, according to a notice posted on the West Lake Corridor Project Facebook page. That work is set to take place between 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and 11:00 p.m. Wednesday. That requires the existing CSX tracks to be taken out of service for a 24-hour period.
The new bridge is considered to be a major step toward allowing the West Lake Corridor to open. It will connect Main Street to the branch's southern terminal and parking lot west of the tracks on the border between Munster and Dyer. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has blamed delays to the branch's opening on difficulty in reaching an agreement with CSX on the bridge's construction.
The notice says next week's work shouldn't generate as much noise and vibration as previous construction. Crews hope to keep the impact on nearby residents to a minimum.
NICTD has been hoping to open the West Lake Corridor in late summer. The West Lake Corridor will be called the Monon Corridor once it opens, to recognize the railroad which ran there in the past.
