Home of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal
Heavy Duty Towing in East Chicago, IN
Steel mill gates, canal bridges and a lakefront expressway with a long history.
- Dispatch answers 24/7
- Written invoice estimate before the work is billed
- Semis, buses, box trucks, RVs and heavy equipment
Steel, a Canal and One Very Famous Bridge
Heavy Duty Towing East Chicago works around the steel mills, the harbor and the lakefront roads of a city of 26,370 people (2020 census) in Lake County, Indiana. Dispatch answers 24/7 at (219) 529-2610 for semis, flatbeds, dump trucks, buses and heavy equipment.
The harbor that built the city
East Chicago is about 18 miles from downtown Chicago, just west of Gary, at an elevation of 587 feet. It was incorporated as a town in 1889 and as a city in 1893. The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is an artificial freshwater harbor with a lot of industrial and manufacturing activity. By 1907 it gave ships a navigable link to Lake Michigan and the Grand Calumet River. Cleveland-Cliffs' Indiana Harbor Works, formed from the former Inland Steel East mill and the Youngstown Sheet and Tube West mill, is described as the largest steel mill in the United States.
Mill traffic means flatbeds, tankers and dump trucks working to gates, scale houses and yards. Tell dispatch the gate, the street and a contact on site, and whether the unit is on mill property or the public road.
Cline Avenue: the road everyone remembers
State Road 912, Cline Avenue, runs from Indiana Toll Road exit 3 over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal to serve the steel mills, a casino and Gary/Chicago International Airport. Its history is part of local trucking knowledge:
- April 15, 1982: a ramp under construction collapsed, killing 14 highway workers.
- November 13, 2009: INDOT closed the canal bridge after inspectors found corrosion in the piers, concrete, beams and cables.
- January 8, 2013: demolition of the old bridge was completed.
- December 23, 2020: a two-lane toll bridge reopened to traffic.
A truck recovery on a two-lane elevated bridge is different from one on a wide interstate. If you are on Cline Avenue, say so first and say which direction you were going.
US 12 and US 20 through the city
US 12 runs through Indiana Harbor and US 20 runs through East Chicago before they rejoin on both sides of the city. SR 912 ties into the Toll Road and the Borman Expressway. These are street-level routes with signals, turns and rail crossings, so low trailers and long wheelbases can hang up where an interstate would never test them.
Calling from East Chicago
- Cross streets or the gate name
- Whether the unit is on a public road or inside a plant
- Tractor, trailer type and weight if you know it
- Cargo, including steel coils, bulk or hazmat
- Who is paying
What changes on a bridge or in a plant
A recovery inside a plant follows the site's rules. We ask about escorts, required gear and which gate to use. A recovery on an elevated two-lane road follows police direction, and the wrecker approach is limited by the lanes available. In both cases, dispatch asks questions first so the right equipment is sent the first time.
Call (219) 529-2610 or
.East Chicago Facts
- Harbor Works. Cleveland-Cliffs' Indiana Harbor Works combines the former Inland Steel East and Youngstown Sheet and Tube West mills and is described as the largest steel mill in the USA.
- Ship canal. The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal is an artificial freshwater harbor that gave ships a navigable link to Lake Michigan and the Grand Calumet River by 1907.
- Cline Avenue bridge. INDOT closed the SR 912 canal bridge on November 13, 2009. A two-lane toll bridge reopened on December 23, 2020.
- City basics. East Chicago had 26,370 residents in 2020, was incorporated as a city in 1893 and sits about 18 miles from downtown Chicago.
Our Services in East Chicago, IN
East Chicago Questions
Can you recover a truck on the Cline Avenue bridge?
We can, depending on what the scene needs. Tell dispatch your direction and what happened. Police or the road operator may control the scene, and dispatch will explain what to expect.
Do you tow flatbeds and coil haulers near the mills?
Yes. Tell us the load, the weight if you know it and whether the unit is inside the plant or on a public street.
Do you work on US 12 and US 20 in East Chicago?
Yes. Give the cross street and direction. Street-level calls often involve tight turns, so tell us what blocks the unit.
What do I need to say for a dump truck stuck near the canal?
Give the address or cross street, the ground conditions, whether it is loaded and who is paying. Dispatch will give an honest arrival estimate on the call.
Free Estimates in East Chicago, IN
Heavy towing and recovery in East Chicago. Call (219) 529-2610 any hour.
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