East Chicago, Ind., February 11, 2021 – Cline Avenue Bridge, LLC, owned and operated by United Bridge Partners (UBP), announces that it has donated the proceeds from their ribbon cutting and ceremonial first drive to two local non-profits: Lake Area United Way and East Chicago Katherine House Boys & Girls Club. Attendees of the December 2020 opening ceremonies contributed $20 or more per vehicle to be among the first to drive across the new Cline Avenue Bridge before it opened to traffic, with project partners and donors from afar also contributing. The event raised over $2,800 which was shared evenly with the two organizations.
As part of the infrastructure supporting Northwest Indiana, Cline Avenue Bridge is dedicated to elevating the community in which they reside. The opening fundraiser is just one way they deliver on that commitment; they also support other neighboring non-profit organizations, create jobs with local labor and materials, and built and operate their project with the highest environmental standards. Additionally, Cline Avenue Bridge will contribute ten cents of every collected toll to the city of East Chicago, providing a further boost to the local area.
Lisa Daugherty, president and CEO of Lake Area United Way expressed the significance of this contribution: “Lake Area United Way helps families thrive, and one way we achieve this is by
connecting low-income working families with better paying jobs. We appreciate the donation from Cline Avenue Bridge because it will help us provide wrap-around supports for families developing their skills to acquire the high-demand jobs currently available with employers in the local community.”
“Our partnership with Cline Avenue Bridge was a natural progression. With their operations taking place in the city of East Chicago, their interest in ensuring the success of the city translates to ensuring the success of its youth residents,” shared Ryan Smiley, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. “As we connect kids on a path toward their great futures, Cline Avenue Bridge is providing unlimited access to such possibilities on their journey into productive adulthood. For this, we are most thankful.”
Cline Avenue Bridge, LLC is owned by United Bridge Partners (UBP), a private infrastructure company that finances, designs, builds, owns, and operates private toll bridges across the United States, meeting the needs of under-funded state and municipal governments to replace failing bridge infrastructure. UBP is funded by a $1 billion capital commitment from the New American Bridges Fund, an affiliate of American Infrastructure Funds, and uses no local, state, or federal financing to accomplish private bridge projects. The Cine Avenue Bridge reconnects SR 912 to Interstate 90 and serves as “The Gateway of Lake County” while providing the most direct route into Lake County and the most timesaving route to Chicago. For more information, visit clineave.com.