WILLOWCREEK ROAD EXTENSION

A public information meeting is being held on January 30, 2023 at 5:30 PM at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 East Division Road, Valparaiso, IN 46383. The format of the meeting will feature a Q&A session in order to provide the public an opportunity to pose questions about the project to the project team.

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A public information meeting is being held on November 15, 2022 at 5:30 PM at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 East Division Road. Valparaiso, IN 46383. The format of the meeting will feature a formal short presentation to begin at 5:30 PM with an informal open house session starting immediately following the formal presentation.  The open house session will provide the public an opportunity to view project maps and displays and to interact with the project team.

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The Porter County Board of Commissioners would like to update the community regarding the selection of a recommended alignment for the Willowcreek Road Extension project (Des. No. 1700500). The recommended alignment, Alignment A-1, will begin at US 30, approximately 0.38 mile east of CR 725 W, continue north for approximately 1.45 miles before curving slightly northeast and continuing for approximately 0.85 mile where it will align with Jones Road. The alignment will continue along the current Jones Road alignment crossing over the Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad line (CFWER) and Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR) tracks. The roadway then curves slightly east, away from the Jones Road alignment, and continues north until tying into the existing intersection of Willowcreek Road and CR 700 N. The Willowcreek Road extension will improve regional connectivity and operational traffic flow by providing a direct north-south route in Porter County, generally between US 30 (Valparaiso-Merrillville corridor) and Portage.

Alignment A-1 was recommended after a year and a half of analysis, evaluation, and input gathering from federal, state, and local agencies; adjacent residents; stakeholders; and other interested parties. Alignment A-1 best addresses the purpose and need of the project while balancing the impacts in the project area. 

Six alternative alignments (as presented at the September 30, 2020 public information meeting) were identified and studied to determine which would be most appropriate for the extension. In balancing the considerations in the process of determining a preliminary recommended alignment, meeting the purpose and need of the project was first considered and then engineering and environmental considerations were evaluated. 

Information was also derived from the public through forums including a public comment portal located at www.willowcreekextension.com, direct email comments, a public meeting, and a community advisory committee meeting. Additional information was derived from discussions with resource agencies in the form of a Resource Agency Meeting.
 

Preliminary analysis revealed that Alignment A-1 would likely require two business relocations, and is the only alignment that would not require any residential relocations. Alignment A-1 would impact 21 parcels, provide the best access to existing drainage facilities for stormwater outlets, and is anticipated to require the fewest number of utility relocations. This alignment also provides opportunities for future water utility extensions, as an existing water main is located on the west side of Wheeler. Additionally, Alignment A-1 is anticipated to impact the least amount of wetlands out of all six alignments. Alignment A-1 would utilize an existing at-grade crossing of the CFWER line at its intersection with County Road (CR) 625 W. Lastly, as determined during project coordination with representatives in the local Porter County community, Alignment A-1 is one of the alignment alternatives preferred by local emergency services based on its more direct alignment with existing Willowcreek Road. It should be noted that as design of the Willowcreek extension progresses, it may be necessary to make adjustments to the alignment which might lead to additional, unforeseen impacts the project could have on surrounding resources and properties.

Due to the involvement of federal funds, Alignment A-1 will now be carried forward and evaluated in more detail in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  Additionally, compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic and archaeological properties, is also required. Alignment A-1 will be the basis for further detailed design, analysis, and development of the project. In forthcoming project coordination, opportunities to provide input on potential cultural resources and the effects the project may have on those resources will be requested. In addition, a public hearing will be scheduled to give the public an opportunity to provide feedback and comments on the recommended alignment. 

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It is anticipated that the public hearing will be held in the spring of 2024. Prior to the public hearing, a legal notice discussing the date, time, and location will be advertised in the NWI Times. Additionally, the legal notice will be distributed to property owners within and adjacent to the proposed project area.

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Visit the link below to review the newsletter describing the preferred alignment. We look forward to meeting with you later this year. Thank you for your interest in the Willowcreek Road Extension project!