A Lake Shore Drive For Lake County

Some opponents to the Illiana Expressway have expressed concerns that building a new interstate highway to reduce congestion on the Borman Expressway ( I-80 & I-94 ) will lead to further urban decline in Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary.

Says Lake County Commissioner Gerry Schueb:

"This really doesn't do anything for the tax base of Lake County, and it really doesn't do anything for jobs in Lake County," Scheub said. "As the north end of the county goes, so goes the rest of Lake County."

An alternative to building the Illiana Expressway would be the creation of a road modeled after Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

While the creation of a Lake County Lake Shore Drive -- I envision a beautifully landscaped and maintained three lane highway running along the shores of Lake Michigan -- could do wonders for economic development in the north county area, I don't know if another route to Chicago would relieve east-west traffic that currently jams I-80 & I-94 because those cars and trucks aren't going to Chicago.

I like the idea of a Lake County Lake Shore Drive. Maybe plans for such a roadway could be incorporated into the Marquette Plan as proposed by Congressman Pete Visclosky. Maybe Indiana's Lake Shore Drive proposals could morph into a project to beautify US 20 and US 12 beginning at the county line in Miller and continuing westward.