The Indiana Department of Transportation is narrowing down the list of potential improvements to U.S. 30 east of Valparaiso. Study teams have identified 55 potential solutions, as part of the ProPEL U.S. 30 study.
Some concepts that will move forward to the next round of studies include adding turn lanes, building overpasses and looking at what INDOT calls "innovative intersections" — like those that would let traffic on U.S. 30 turn right or left onto a side street but would prohibit cars from driving straight across the highway. They also haven't ruled out the idea of upgrading U.S. 30 to freeway standards east of Valpo.
Other ideas have been rejected, like charging tolls and adding more travel lanes. Overall, study teams didn't find many issues with capacity and congestion. Similarly, they opted not to study bus transit, passenger rail or freight rail any further — even though that stretch of U.S. 30 runs next to an existing rail line — since they determined that implementation would be outside of INDOT's control.
INDOT's taking public comment on this "universe of alternatives" until December 22. The full study is expected to wrap up next fall.
