(La Porte County, IN) - The Indiana Department of Transportation, along with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, are singing the praises of a couple of highway road improvements on the east side of the county.

 

It’s been four years since changes were made to Cougar Road, SR 2, and US 20. A little controversial at the time, making Cougar Road one-way near its intersection with SR 2 has reduced crashes considerably, says INDOT. There has been an 85% reduction in total crashes and an 80% drop in crashes resulting in injury. Safety at Cougar and US 20 is also improved, thanks to a new stoplight and turn lanes. Crashes there are down 51%.

 

The changes were made following the construction of the dogbone overpass at 2 and 20, which facilitated better traffic flow in the area.

 

La Porte County Sheriff's Captain Derek Allen says the changes have made a big difference. "One of the biggest things that we've seen is the efficiency in what the dogbone has done," he said. "With these improvements at both intersections, we're reducing the number of crashes and we're making it safer for motorists that travel these roadways frequently."

 

New Prairie school superintendent Dr. Paul White agrees. The safety of student drivers was a major consideration in limiting cross-traffic turns to and from SR 2. "The issues of wrecks at each location have been substantially reduced," he said. "It's been a win for everybody, and for the safety of our students and families, which needs to be the driver of decisions like this."