Interstate 94 in Indiana

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This article is about the section of Interstate 94 in Indiana. For the entire route, see Interstate 94.

Interstate 94

Map
I-94 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by INDOT
Length45.770 mi[1] (73.660 km)
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-80 / I-94 / US 6 at Illinois state line
Major intersections
East end I-94 at Michigan state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountiesLake, Porter, LaPorte
Highway system
  • Indiana State Highway System
← I-90→ SR 101

Interstate 94 (I-94) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to Port Huron, Michigan. I-94 enters Indiana from Illinois in the west, in Munster, and runs generally eastward through Hammond, Gary, and Portage, before entering Michigan northeast of Michigan City. The Interstate runs for approximately 45.8 miles (73.7 km) through the state. The landscape traversed by I-94 includes urban areas of Northwest Indiana, wooded areas, and farmland. The section of I-94 between the Illinois state line and Lake Station is named the Borman Expressway.

Route description

The Borman Expressway in Hammond, approaching exit 3

I-94 enters Indiana from Illinois running concurrently with I-80 and US Highway 6 (US 6) on the Borman Expressway, in Munster. The freeway heads toward the east as a 10-lane Interstate, quickly entering the city of Hammond. The road has an interchange with Calumet Avenue, which US 41 is concurrent with toward the north of the interchange. East of the Calumet interchange is an interchange with Indianapolis Boulevard, which carries US 41 south of this interchange and State Road 152 (SR 152) to the north. East of Indianapolis Boulevard, the Interstate passes over the Norfolk Southern Railway Kanakee belt, before having an interchange with Kennedy Avenue. After Kennedy Avenue, the freeway passes to the north of industrial properties, before having an interchange at SR 912, also known as Cline Avenue.[2][3] The stretch of the highway between Kennedy Avenue and SR 912 is one of the most heavily traveled in the state, with annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 163,912 vehicles according to a 2010 study.[4] At the interchange with Cline Avenue, the Borman Expressway becomes an eight-lane Interstate; it also leaves Hammond and enters the city of Gary.[2][3][5]

East of SR 912, the Interstate has an overpass over railroad tracks, before having an interchange with Burr Street. After Burr Street, the highway passes near woodland, as a 10-lane Interstate. The freeway has an interchange with both Grant Street and Broadway. The Interstate has an interchange with I-65. Central Avenue has an incomplete interchange, eastbound exit and westbound entrance, with the Interstate that is accessed through ramps at I-65 exit. East of Central Avenue the freeway becomes a six-lane Interstate passing near wooded areas, with farmland. The highway enters Lake Station, and US 6 leaves I-94. East of the interchange with US 6, the Borman Expressway has an interchange with the Indiana Toll Road. I-80 leaves I-94 and heads east of the toll road. The name "Borman Expressway" does not apply eastward beyond the toll road interchange. The freeway passes over the toll road, before leaving Lake Station and entering Portage.[2][3]

In Portage, the Interstate passes over US 20 and begins to parallel US 20, before having an interchange with SR 249. East of SR 249, the highway leaves Portage and enters Burns Harbor, before passing under SR 149. I-94 has a cloverleaf interchange with US 20, before entering Porter. While passing through Porter, the highway passes over the Norfolk Southern Chicago Line. After Porter, the road enters Chesterton and has an interchange with SR 49. East of SR 49, the freeway leaves Chesterton, entering rural Porter County before entering LaPorte County. The Interstate has an interchange with US 421 just south of Michigan City. The road curves to the northeast, bypassing Michigan City to the southeast, having an interchange with US 20. After US 20, I-94 passes over a Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad track, before leaving the Michigan City area and entering Michigan.[2][3][5] The segment of freeway between US 20 and the Michigan state line has the lowest AADT on I-94 in the state of Indiana, at 37,179 vehicles.[4]

History

The expressway now known as the Borman was originally known as the Tri-State Highway, and construction of the expressway began in 1949.[6] At that time, a similar designation, the Tri-State Expressway, applied to what is now the Kingery Expressway, which linked with the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois.[7] It was originally designated SR 420 in Indiana,[8] reflecting a national designation that was also intended for the highway.[9] At the time, US 6 diverged at Calumet Avenue south and ran on Calumet Avenue and Ridge Road.[10]

The first extension of the Tri-State Expressway into Indiana opened around the start of September 1951, extending the Illinois highway to Calumet Avenue.[11] Extensions opened to Indianapolis Boulevard on October 13, 1952,[12] to Burr Street in February 1956,[13] and to Broadway in Gary on October 21, 1960.[14] In 1959, markers designating the highway as an Interstate went up, carrying the designations of I-80 and I-90.[15] The I-94 designation was applied to the Indiana Toll Road west of where its interchange with the Borman was eventually built, and the I-294 designation stopped at the Illinois line before reaching Indiana.[10][16] The expressways were renumbered in July 1964 to avoid the implication that through traffic must change roads to stay on I-90 or I-94, resulting in I-90 being moved to the Indiana Toll Road, and I-94 being moved to the Tri-State.[17] With the opening of the final link to the Indiana Toll Road on October 27, 1964,[18] US 6 was extended along the Tri-State to Ripley Street (its earlier alignment in this area became US 6 Business).[19] The highway was renamed to the Borman Expressway in January 1969 after Frank Borman, commander of the Gemini 7 and Apollo 8 space missions, who was born in Gary.[20][21]

The eastern section of I-94 in Indiana was completed last, after the nearby Michigan section had been completed, leading to what was called in the interim the "Cornfield Roadblock". This gap was closed first from west to east at Crisman Road on August 15, 1969.[22] Two sections then opened on November 29, 1971: from the west to Indiana 49, and from the east to US 20 outside Michigan City.[23] The last section of highway opened on November 2, 1972, the last section of Interstate 94 to be opened.[24]

Reconstruction

Borman Expressway three-level interchange at Cline Avenue

Reconstruction of the Borman commenced in 2004.[25] The reconstruction of both the Kingery and Borman expressways aimed to significantly reduce the delays encountered on the highway. The reconstructed portion of the Borman is eight lanes wide, with additional collector–distributor lanes between interchanges. Construction between the Illinois state line and exit 11 (I-65 south ramp to Indianapolis) was completed in 2007. The I-65 Interchange Modification Project continued into 2009, including replacing the pavement of the Borman Expressway to Central Avenue.[26]

The Borman Expressway and Cline Avenue interchange is a partial cloverleaf interchange. Two flyover ramps allow southbound Cline Avenue traffic to merge onto the eastbound Borman Expressway, and northbound Cline Avenue traffic to merge onto the westbound Borman Expressway. The remaining ramps utilize the cloverleaf design.[27]

Flooding

On Saturday, September 13, 2008, at approximately 9:00 am CDT, all lanes of the Borman Expressway in both directions at Kennedy Avenue in Hammond were closed by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indiana State Police due to severe flooding from the Little Calumet River. A levee breach, thanks to torrential rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ike, reportedly caused water from the river to cascade across all lanes to a depth of nearly five feet (1.5 m) under the Kennedy Avenue overpass. The expressway remained shut down in both directions until the following Wednesday, September 17, 2008. There had also been flooding in August 2007, and various measures have been undertaken to prevent future occurrences.[28]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
LakeMunster0.0000.000


 I-80 west / I-94 west / US 6 west (Kingery Expressway) – Des Moines, Chicago		Illinois state line
Hammond0.8751.4081
 US 41 north (Calumet Avenue) – Hammond, Munster, Chicago		Western end of US 41 concurrency; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north)
2.3843.8372

 US 41 south / SR 152 north (Indianapolis Boulevard) – Hammond, Highland		Eastern end of US 41 concurrency; serves Purdue University Northwest Hammond Campus; signed as exits 2A (south) and 2B (north) eastbound
3.346–
3.358		5.385–
5.404		3Kennedy AvenueServes Visitors' Center; signed as exits 3A (south) and 3B (north) eastbound
Gary4.9087.8995 SR 912 (Cline Avenue) – Chicago, GriffithServes Gary/Chicago International Airport; signed as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north)
6.44810.3776Burr StreetSigned as exits 6A (south) and 6B (north) eastbound
8.89014.3079Grant Street
9.91515.95710 SR 53 (Broadway)Serves Indiana University Northwest
10.856–
11.857		17.471–
19.082		11
12
 I-65 to Indiana Toll Road – Indianapolis, Chicago via toll road		I-65 exits 259A-B; signed as exits 11 (south) & 12 (north) eastbound and exit 12 westbound
Lake Station12.74920.51813Central AvenueEastbound exit (shares ramp with I-65 north, Exit 12) and westbound entrance
15.15624.39115

 US 6 east / SR 51 to US 20 (Ripley Street)		Eastern end of US 6 concurrency; signed as exits 15A (south/east) and 15B (north); westbound exit 15B is part of exit 16
15.666–
15.937		25.212–
25.648		16



 I-80 Toll east / I-90 Toll / Indiana Toll Road to Chicago Skyway – Toledo, Chicago		Eastern end of I-80 concurrency; I-90 exit 21
PorterPortage18.95530.50519 SR 249 – Port of Indiana, Portage
Porter22.35635.97822 US 20 – Burns Harbor, PorterSigned as exits 22A (west) and 22B (east)
Chesterton25.98241.81426 SR 49 – Chesterton, ValparaisoSigned as exits 26A (south) and 26B (north); serves Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park
LaPorteCoolspring Township34.58655.66134 US 421 – Westville, Michigan CitySigned as exits 34A (south) and 34B (north)
Springfield Township39.93464.26840 US 20 / US 35 – South Bend, Michigan City, La PorteSigned as exits 40A (east/south) and 40B (west/north)
45.77073.660
 I-94 east – Detroit		Michigan state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b Indiana Department of Transportation (July 2016). Reference Post Book (PDF). Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. I 80, I 94. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Google (November 19, 2013). "Overview of Interstate 94 in Indiana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Indiana Department of Transportation (2014). Indiana Roadway Map for 2014 (PDF) (Map). 1:550,000. Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. § B3-A5. OCLC 880943061. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Indiana Department of Transportation (2010). "Indiana Traffic Counts". Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Indiana Department of Transportation (March 2, 2012). Indiana Railroad Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Staff. "City of Hammond History". City of Hammond, Indiana. Retrieved April 16, 2007.
  7. ^ Benman, Keith (April 1, 2007). "Region's first free expressway built in 'another time'". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Munster, IN. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  8. ^ Staff. "Facts & Photos". Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  9. ^ "Expressway Interchange Bids in Hand". The Times. November 21, 1952. p. 4. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Indiana State Highway Commission (1963). Indiana Official Highway Map (Map) (1963–64 ed.). Scale not given. Indianapolis: Indiana State Highway Commission. Retrieved May 9, 2019 – via Indiana State Library.
  11. ^ "3 Cities Declare War on Speeding Motorists". The Times. August 14, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Open New Tri-State Highway Cloverleaf". The Times. October 14, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  13. ^ "Tri-State Highway Opening Delayed". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. January 31, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Handley Opens New Highway Strip at Gary". Leader-Tribune. October 22, 1960. p. 16. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  15. ^ "Tri-State Road Gets New Traffic Signs". The Times. January 20, 1959. p. 3. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  16. ^ Dimapco. Dimapco Indiana State Map (Map) (1960s ed.). DX Oil. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2007.[full citation needed]
  17. ^ "Changing Route Signs In Area". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. July 8, 1964. p. 7. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "Cut Ribbon, Saw 'Horse' At Ceremony". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. October 28, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "Towns Unite On Road Aid". The Times. December 10, 1964. p. 18. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  20. ^ "Home Town Welcomes Borman". Journal and Courier. January 15, 1969. p. 40. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  21. ^ Staff. "Frank Borman". Borman Expressway Reconstruction Project. Indiana Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
  22. ^ "I-94 Highway Gap Shortens". The South Bend Tribune. August 16, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "12 More Miles of Interstate 94 Opened". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. November 30, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  24. ^ "Last Section of I-94 Opened". Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. November 3, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  25. ^ Staff. "Time Line". Borman Expressway Reconstruction Project. Indiana Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2007.
  26. ^ Staff. "About the Borman Expressway Reconstruction Project". Borman Expressway Reconstruction Project. Indiana Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 27, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2007.
  27. ^ Google (March 22, 2008). "Borman Expressway at Cline Avenue" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  28. ^ Benman, Keith (August 12, 2009). "Borman to get flood fix at Kennedy". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Munster, IN. Retrieved January 23, 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 80 in Indiana and Interstate 94 in Indiana.


Interstate 94
Previous state:
Illinois 		Indiana Next state:
Michigan
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