Why is the bypass dangerous in winter? 4 causes of crashes on St. Joseph Valley Parkway

Feb. 6, 2025

SOUTH BEND — “Stay off the bypass,” local police departments warn every winter.

The bypass, as it’s referred to by locals, is the part of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway that runs through St. Joseph County Police, South Bend Police, and Elkhart County Police jurisdictions. Mishawaka Police don't have jurisdiction on the bypass, including its on and off ramps; St. Joseph County Police handle that, the Mishawaka Police Department said.

In January, St. Joseph County Police reported multiple crashes and pile-ups due to winter conditions. On Jan. 14, in the span of eight hours, county police responded to more than 33 crashes on the bypass, including a 12-car pile up. Police closed off the bypass for a few hours between Indiana 2 and Mayflower Road. No major injuries or deaths were reported. 

St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman, who was on the scene that day, reported bad visibility and slick roads. 

A week later, county police reported at least eight crashes and slide-offs on Jan. 23 and asked drivers to avoid the bypass if possible. Main problem areas were defined as the U.S. 20 bypass and a stretch of road on Indiana 2 between County Line Road and Strawberry Road, the department said in a crash update.

“We are once again encouraging drivers to take it slow as our team is responding to several crashes and slide-offs in the county," Christine O'Connor, the department's public information officer, said in a released statement on Jan. 23. "If you haven’t already, please download our St. Joseph County Police Department app. You will be the first to know about crashes, road closures, delays, major weather and more!”

According to The Tribune’s reporting partners at WNDU-TV, freezing rain was predicted for after sunset on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, with slick spots likely before 8 a.m. A senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service told The Tribune “nobody is going to escape the ice.” 

How many crashes occurred on the bypass in the past three years? 

Michiana Area Council of Governments compiled crash data on U.S. 20 from West County Road 19 in Elkhart County to the Michigan/Indiana state line in St. Joseph County from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024. In this time span, one fatal injury occurred in July of 2023 at U.S. 20 and Ironwood Road. MAGOG reported this incident took place in the daylight, in clear weather conditions and dry surface conditions. 

Three fatal injury crashes occurred in St. Joseph County in 2024: one in May just before Brick Road going south, in September at Miami Street and in October at IN-2. The incidents occurred during the daylight and with clear weather and a dry surface.

From 2022 to 2024, this area experienced five incapacitating injuries — three in 2023 and two in 2024. Of five incapacitating injuries, four occurred in St. Joseph County with two being in daylight, cloudy and dry conditions and one injury occurred in Dec. of 2024 in dark, unlit, conditions, with the snow and a dry surface. 

In total, the area had 245 crashes with 40 in 2022, 87 in 2023 and 118 in 2024. Of those, 212 of these total crashes resulted in property damage only, MACOG data showed. As for road conditions, 32 crashes occurred on ice conditions, 17 in snow or slush, 147 on dry road, 41 in wet conditions, and 7 in standing or moving water. MACOG did not list a road condition for one crash. 

How does lake effect contribute to bypass dangers? 

The St. Joseph Valley Parkway serves as a beltway of Michiana. The highway, which reaches as far west as Benton Harbor, Mich., intersects with U.S. 20 and U.S. 31, going around South Bend and Mishawaka toward Middlebury. 

South Bend is about 35 miles away from Lakeside, a town which sits on Lake Michigan. Due to the proximity to the third largest Great Lake – 22,300 square miles – Michiana is a snowbelt region, an area where lake-effect snowfall is likely to occur in winter. 

Lake effect snow forms in a band and is not part of a larger snow system. 

“We get conditions on our highways changing dramatically over short distances,” WNDU meteorologist Matt Engelbrecht said. “When the lake effect snow machine is running, we can go from perfect visibility and no road issues, to near whiteout conditions and poor driving conditions in just a few miles.”

Sky Medors, the engineer for St. Joseph County, listed several factors that contribute to the dangerous road conditions each winter on the bypass. 

Location

The bypass passes through open fields. Wind passes through these open fields and blows more snow onto the parkway, Medor said. 

Wind provides a cooling effect to the road, Medor said. Engelbrecht said wind doesn’t affect the freezing point of water, which is always 32 degrees fahrenheit or 0 degrees celsius. Still, the wind could make the surface of the road colder.

The I-285 bypass around Atlanta, Ga. doesn’t experience the extreme cold the South Bend region does. When they do, Medor said, their bypass is at a standstill because they’re not as prepared to deal with it. Multiple counties in Georgia were urged to stay off the roads in January due to the icy conditions, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. In contrast, I-465, which circles Indianapolis, doesn’t have the open terrain St. Joseph County does, so it's not as affected by strong winds. Indianapolis drivers don’t get the drifting snow and wind directly over the surface of the road, Medor said. 

Medor doesn’t believe the St. Joseph Valley Parkway was designed poorly, he said. He acknowledged there may have been design challenges, but “a lot of it just has to do with the general alignment and the winds and the terrain that the road itself crosses,” he said. 

Bridges

St. Joseph Valley Parkway consists of multiple bridges, including overpasses and underpasses. According to data from MACOG, bridges along the parkway are in good and fair condition. 

Bridges ice before the road because both the top and bottom are exposed to air, Engelbrecht said. 

“Roads are ‘insulated’ from the bottom and thus only lose heat through the ‘top,’” Engelbrecht told The Tribune by email on Feb. 5. “So the temperatures don't fall nearly as fast. Bridges on the other hand have two surfaces exposed so the temperature can fall faster.” 

He gave an example of two ice cubes placed on the top and bottom of an object. The temperature of that object would fall a lot faster than an object with only one surface being cooled, he said. 

Concrete roads

The highway, which is maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation, is made of concrete rather than asphalt, Medor said. Concrete is a good material for building roads, he said, but added that it does tend to allow freezing to happen a little more quickly than asphalt. 

“Asphalt being a darker color can absorb heat and hold the heat a little bit better, whereas the concrete necessarily doesn’t,” Medor said. 

The safety of the traveling public is of highest priority, INDOT said in a statement to The Tribune on Feb. 5. 

“Our Highway Maintenance Department takes great care to appropriately plan and prepare for each winter weather event,” INDOT said. “When determining how to treat roads before and during an event, we carefully consider forecast information, input from the National Weather Service and contracted services, as well as our internal teams.” 

Though acknowledging that each winter event is different, INDOT performs road treatments before, during and after a storm, they said. 

Before an incoming storm, they treat their roads with brine — a salt and water solution — to help prevent snow and ice from sticking to pavement and during the storm, crews work to keep roads passable by plowing and applying salt, they said. After a storm, INDOT crews focus on final cleanup.

“Even with crews out treating and patrolling on all state-maintained routes, slick conditions may still exist, especially until precipitation stops,” INDOT said, “In some circumstances, it may be necessary for a state-maintained road to close due to hazardous conditions.”

INDOT said it’s crucial for drivers to adjust their driving habits for road conditions during winter weather. This includes slowing down, increasing following distance and avoiding distractions, they said. 

Plow locations and cameras are available at 511in.org or the INDOT TrafficWise mobile app for drivers who are commuting in snow storms to view real-time road conditions. 

Speeding

Crashes can be caused by the sudden stop of traffic mixed with icy road conditions. No matter the safety or performance of a person’s vehicle, they can still be at risk. AAA provided ways drivers can avoid sliding on ice or snow, such as not using cruise control on wet or slippery roads and leaving extra room between the car in front, and steps to take when the vehicle is sliding on ice. 

The South Bend Police Department encouraged drivers to adjust their speed to slower than 65 miles per hour when traveling on the bypass in winter conditions.

“When it comes to snowy conditions, we ask residents to drive for the conditions, not necessarily the maximum posted speed limit,” they said in a statement to The Tribune on Feb. 5. “A speed of 65 may be safe and appropriate on a clear, dry day… but when you add snow and ice, you should adjust your speed to ensure you aren’t putting yourself or other drivers at risk in the event of a need to suddenly stop.”