Turns out, the
Porter County Highway Department doesn’t have much more information on the
closure of Meridian Road between C.R. 900N and C.R. 950N than do the folks
who’ve been forced to make complicated detours around the closure.
The problem: CSX
has made no effort to keep the Highway Department apprised of its
activities, Superintendent David James told the Chesterton Tribune
today.
The closure,
prompted by CSX track work, went into effect on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Also
closed: C.R. 50W. And briefly closed as well: C.R. 150W. All roads were
supposed to be re-opened to traffic on Sept. 25. But that hasn’t happened,
and James doesn’t know why, because CSX isn’t returning his calls, he said.
“There’s a lack of communication from CSX.”
Not only is CSX
uncommunicative, the railroad appears unconcerned about the dangers posed by
the road closures, James added. In particular, the triple closure of
Meridian Road, C.R. 50W, and C.R. 150W had the effect of “landlocking
emergency services.”
On one occasion,
prior to this most recent closure, CSX closed Meridian Road between C.R.
900N and C.R. 950N without notifying the Highway Department at all. And,
James said, he didn’t learn of the closure until getting a frantic call from
the Duneland Schools bus barn.