Railroad overpass planned for Hessville neighborhood

Hessville residents are no strangers to stopped trains in the Hammond neighborhood, but a planned railroad overpass will give them some relief.

Hammond is partnering with the state to build a railroad overpass in Hessville to ease issues with trains stopped in the neighborhood that block drivers and pedestrians traveling through the area. The bridge – dubbed Governor’s Parkway – is anticipated to run north from 173rd Street to 169th Street, according to City Engineer Dean Button, and the city is expected to pay roughly $3 million for the $8 million project.

“That’s going to solve a lot of our problems in Hessville,” said Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.

If a train is stopped along those tracks, it not only blocks residents trying to get through the neighborhood but can also stop traffic on Kennedy Avenue, McDermott said.

“It just locks up Hessville,” McDermott said.

A railroad overpass would give residents a route to move through the neighborhood without going around via Cline Avenue, McDermott said.

“This project is going to alleviate that decades-old problem,” Button said.

The city is tentatively looking at a railroad overpass that would run from 173rd parallel to Parrish and Grand avenues. McDermott said the city owns much of the land along that proposed route.

“The exact path is being determined now,” McDermott said.

Given the proposed location of the bridge, Button said the work can be done without any significant impact on traffic in the area or on the neighborhood.

The project could start construction in early 2022.

“The design is in progress,” Button said. “It’s moving forward.”

The city is identifying funding sources for its portion of the railroad overpass, McDermott said.

“We’re moving on that,” McDermott said.

Norfolk Southern plans to contribute $450,000 for the project. Button said once the bridge is finished, the city is going to close rail crossings at Parrish Avenue and Arizona Street.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is going to fund the construction engineering, the design and many “soft costs,” Button said.

In concert with the railroad bridge, McDermott said the city is looking at a bike and pedestrian overpass that would connect to a new trail system around the Hessville neighborhood. He said that trail system would also connect to other bike and pedestrian paths that run through Hammond.

“Those are cool projects in Hessville,” McDermott said.