Open Flood Gate Caused I-80 I-94 Flood

Last month's Borman Expressway flooding was caused by an open flapgate that allowed water from the Little Calumet River to block a major national east-west highway -- I-80 & I-94, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

An open flapgate to the drainage system on the east side of Kennedy Avenue is believed to have contributed to last month's massive flooding on the Borman Expressway, officials said Monday.

The flapgate is designed to open and close automatically in response to the level of the Little Calumet River, according to representatives of the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The flapgate didn't close as it should have to stop the flow of the rising river, they said. And a backup system north of the flapgate, known as a sluice gate, was not closed until Tuesday, five days after the Borman was closed to traffic.

Borman Expressway Flood I-80 I-94 Little Calumet River US Army Corps of Engineers

What Caused Plum Creek To Flood Dyer?

What caused flooding near the Indiana and Illinois state line in Dyer?

Some Dyer residents whose neighborhoods flooded when Plum Creek overflowed it banks with "a wave" of water are blaming new construction in Northwest Indiana and St. Margaret Mercy Hospital, reports Mary Wilds of the Northwest Indiana Times.

Stormwater officials said the hospital did not cause the flood, but was flooded because of excess storm water in Plum Creek that came from its watershed south of Dyer.

In discussing what went wrong during the flood, residents and stormwater officials disagreed on the role the hospital played in the situation.

Residents insisted the new construction at the hospital's Dyer campus exacerbated problems in the nearby subdivisions, setting the stage for catastrophic flooding in those areas. Stormwater officials, however, said overflow from Plum Creek had flooded the hospital, not the other way around.

The flood was caused by a 10-foot surge in the creek, which came out of the Plum Creek watershed southwest of Dyer, they said.

The Rev. Greg Powers, whose parents live on Park Manor Drive, was among those who believed that building and development, particularly at the hospital, had influenced the situation. He suggested Dyer declare a building moratorium "before anything else happens" so the situation can be studied.

Plum Creek Dyer St. Margaret Mercy Hospital Northwest Indiana flood

Is the Borman Expressway Design Flood Prone?

Is the Borman Expressway design flood prone?

The Northwest Indiana Times raises the question of does the Borman Expressway's new design contribute to flooding.

Indiana Department of Transportation officials defended their design of the newly reconstructed Borman Expressway, saying heavy rains were to blame.

But people who live and work nearby -- including Hammond's city engineer -- rejected the idea that the road was working like it should have.

Improper drainage, many locals contend, is what prompted the closure that backed up traffic for miles into Illinois and toward Porter County, and caused gridlock on may of the area's main arterial roads.

"I'm not an engineer, but I can tell you there's a problem. And it must be fixed," said Hammond City Councilman Dan Repay, whose district includes the flooded expressway and surrounding neighborhoods.

" The whole design of 80/94 has caused problems for residents from Hessville to Woodmar, and INDOT seems not to have a care in the world," Repay said.

Borman Expressway I-80 I-94 Flood interstate design flaw

Flood Waters Damage 1,927 NW Indiana Homes

High water in Hobart's Turkey Creek last week. Last week's flood waters ravaged almost 1,927 Northwest Indiana homes.

Flood waters that snarled Northwest Indiana traffic when the Borman Expressway was blocked by high water also damaged more than 1,900 Northwest Indiana homes.

The American Red Cross inspected homes after last week's floods and found 1,927 homes in The Region were damaged, reports Deborah Laverty of the Northwest Indiana Times. The Indiana cities slammed hardest by the flood were Dyer, Gary, and Lake Station.

Total destruction was limited to 30 homes. Of the rest of the damaged homes, flood waters caused major structural damage in 120 houses and minor damage to 1,680.

Flood Northwest Indiana homes Gary Indiana Dyer Lake Station

IU Northwest Suffers Effects of Flood & Storm

Driving on Broadway yesterday afternoon returning from a trip on the Borman Expressway after traveling to Waukegan, Illinois, I noticed that the Savannah Parking lot at Indiana University Northwest was flooded.

ROTC cadets -- I assume they were ROTC cadets because they were wearing camouflage uniforms but had civilian-type boots -- were directing traffic away from the flooded areas at 33rd & Broadway as well as at a checkpoint on Jefferson & 33rd.

Shuttle buses were running Indiana University Northwest students to and from emergency campus parking lots.

I would have jumped out of the car to snap a picture or two, but I didn't want to tie up traffic as students were returning back to campus for fall classes.

Indiana University Northwest also reports that the Moraine Center suffered damage and will be closed until after Labor Day.

Moraine: Due to extreme damage, we do not anticipate this building reopening until after the Labor Day break. You may expect that the Redhawk Café will continue to offer outside, grilled items from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., with no breakfast service until further notice.

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Indiana University Northwest Flood Moraine Center Savannah Northwest Indiana

Lesson Learned From Borman Expressway Flood -- Build the Illiana Expressway

The Great Borman Expressway Flood of '07

The Great Borman Expressway Flood of '07 shows the need to build the Illiana Expressway:

For naysayers, hoping that transportation problems will solve themselves by halting new road construction is faulty logic. When the Borman Expressway was closed, trucks and cars traveling from New York to California and points in between flowed into Northwest Indiana city streets seeking alternate routes.

And, it is foreseeable that accidents, roadwork, heavy snow, or any number of other reasons could block the Borman Expressway.

Borman Expressway traffic jam Illiana Expressway Flood Northwest Indiana I-80 I-94 I-65 I-57

St. Margaret Mercy Flood Damage Estimated at $10 Million

Flood damage to St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer could be $10 million, said ABC 7 Chicago news anchor Ron Magers on WLS AM's Roe Conn Show this afternoon.

St. Margaret Mercy has opened a temporary emergency room, reports ABC 7 Chicago.

St. Margaret Mercy Hospital Flood Plum Creek Dyer Northwest Indiana Indiana

Borman Expressway Traffic Flowing in Both Directions!

After a valiant fight to against flood waters, INDOT crews have won the battle against flood waters to reopen three lanes in each direction on I-80 & I-94 -- the Borman Expressway -- in Northwest Indiana.

The interstate highway's eastbound lanes had been blocked with flood waters earlier today.

Great job to all of the INDOT, emergency management, and other officials who spent countless hours during the last couple of days working hard to get life in Northwest Indiana back to normal.

Borman Expressway I-80 I-94 Kennedy Avenue flood Northwest Indiana three lanes open westbound eastbound INDOT traffic camera

Video -- Borman Expressway Flood

Video: Borman Expressway flood blocks eastbound lanes at Kennedy Avenue in Northwest Indiana. Crowds gather on Kennedy Avenue to watch INDOT flood clean up effort.



Borman Expressway Flood interstate I-80 I-94 Kennedy Avenue Chicago Northwest Indiana

Borman Expressway Update -- Three West Lanes Open While East Remains Flooded and Closed

Borman Expressway
flood update:

Three westbound Borman Expressway lanes are open Sunday afternoon. Eastbound lanes still completely blocked because of flood waters.

Borman Expressway Flood I-80 I-94 Kennedy Avenue interstate traffic jam Northwest Indiana

Borman Expressway Flooding Continues To Block Nation's Major East-West Route

Flood waters still block
the eastbound Borman Expressway
-- I-80 & I-94 -- Sunday morning.

Two westbound Borman Expressway
lanes remain blocked by flood waters
this Sunday morning.

The nation's major east-west highway -- interstates I-80 and I-94 -- remains crippled as its eastbound lanes remain blocked by high water that has flooded the roadway. Cars and trucks are being diverted onto Ridge Road -- a roadway that wasn't designed to handle the heavy demands of all of the interstate commerce that passes through The Region in Northwest Indiana.

Traffic heading westward to Chicago is getting through, but two lanes remain flooded and impassible this Sunday morning.

About this time, I'm sure the Borman Expressway's eastbound drivers were wishing there was an Illiana Expressway bypass.

Borman Expressway I-80 I-94 flood Northwest Indiana Highland Kennedy Avenue interstate

Borman Expressway Floods!

The Borman Expressway
(I-80 & I-94) Floods!

View of the interstate highway from INDOT's camera at Kennedy Avenue at Mile 3.3 earlier today.

Things aren't looking good as weather forecasters predict more rain later today.



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Tech Tags: Flood Borman+Expressway I+80 I+94 Kennedy Interstate