Indiana State Road 149

State Road 149 (SR 149) in the U.S. state of Indiana is a major highway that, much like State Road 249 (SR 249), exists to serve the steel mills and their Port of Indiana in northwest Indiana. The highway runs from State Road 130 (SR 130), 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Valparaiso, north to U.S. Route 12 (US 12) in Burns Harbor a distance of about 9 miles (14 km).

Route desription

Unlike State Road 249 (SR 249), SR 149 crosses, but does not have interchanges with, Interstate 94 (I-94) and Interstates 80/90 (Indiana Toll Road). In spite of this, SR 149 is a four-lane divided highway from US 12 south to U.S. Route 20 (US 20). Some believe that SR 149 has no relation to State Road 49 (SR 49). The highway is physically located on the grid system between SR 49 and State Road 51 (SR 51). As no odd numbers exist between 49 and 51, 149 was chosen as a compromise. Others see a relation between the numbers 49, 149, and SR 249. The interchange with US 12 is unique in that it was designed for westbound US 12 traffic to use an at-grade ramp and traffic light to access southbound SR 149 but the traffic light was never built. The need for this is seen 1/2 mile (3/4 km) east, where a full interchange brings personnel into the Port of Indiana via Mittal Steel. Onramps and offramps are located on the right sides of the busy highway, so to prevent Port of Indiana traffic from crossing two lanes of busy US 12 traffic to access SR 149, a ramp was built instead but, as the traffic light was never added, a decade later the dangerous situation was altered by blocking off the ramp (after festering deer carcasses were found to be dumped there) and a few more years later a left-turn lane was added, though still no traffic light.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Porter County.

See also

• Indiana State Road 49
• Indiana State Road 249

References

1. ^ "INDOT Roadway Referencing System" (PDF). http://www.in.gov/indot/files/StateWide_2004.pdf. 

External links

• Indiana Highway Ends - SR 149