Indiana Roads - SR 912, Cline Ave.

IN State Road 912, Cline Avenue



No avenue is this, but a freeway, Horatio. (Hi, I'm Steve.) A backward-numbered freeway, at that, for although SR 912 is signed north-south, it is numbered east-west. It's a hook-shaped route spending about half its time in either orientation, so all I ask is to either change the direction or reverse the exit numbers for consistency. SR 912 NB begins at this poorly assembled assembly, which could use the same arrow on both signs. Actually, the arrow should be inside the Exit Only panel, which would have obviated the need for tacking on the bottom panel of the first sign (with plenty of room to cover up the arrow error) and would leave enough room for "TO I-65" on the second sign.


But instead of fixing any errors, INDOT multiplied them through repetition on the SB side. Here we have too-small shields that were obvious afterthoughts (US 12 being a recent addition), improper use of superscript on a road sign, improper use of periods for abbreviations, singular "EXIT" for two exits, and a down arrow that points decidedly away from down. Let's also not forget the missing Exit 10A tab on the Exit 10 ramp, just to pile on the criticism. US 12 used to follow Columbus Drive to 4th Ave. in Gary, but now jumps down SR 912 to rejoin US 20 (which it just split from in Hammond) that much sooner. INDOT may as well extend SR 152 up US 20 and just keep 12/20 together the whole time.


More afterthoughts on the SB frontage road at Exit 7.


Suddenly, the freeway just ends at Exit 5A for no apparent reason. It's certainly signed as if it continues, and only a few drums stand in the way. However, INDOT never maintained Cline Avenue properly, so it can no longer safely support traffic and needs to be demolished and replaced. Times being what they are, and with relatively little need for this freeway, it has been proposed as a toll road. (Its main purpose is to get trucks and related traffic to and from the harbor - most people are staying on I-90.)


Looking south and north from the merge of the closed SB lanes at that interchange. Yes, it would have been trivial for me to hook back and travel up the closed freeway, and yes, I'm kicking myself for not having done so, penalties be damned.


Another wasted opportunity, looking up the SB offramp to Michigan Ave. at Exit 5. How could I not have even gone to look at the ramp sign?


At the very least, here's one button-copy sign from the mainline, the NB advance for what would probably have been Exit 3 had it survived long enough to be numbered. On closer inspection, traffic may actually be able to enter SR 912 NB from here and continue to US 41 and I-90, as it's only the Riley Rd. bridge that has been removed so far. I believe more sections of the freeway are to follow, though, or else NB traffic could simply have been routed down the Riley Rd. exit and back up the other side. (SB traffic, no such luck, because the exit is on the far side of the bridge.

Exit 10 to I-80
Exit 10 to I-94
Exit 10B to I-65
Exit 8 to US 20
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