Some Elkhart County homeowners are suddenly afraid of heights.

They live along State Road 15 where a portion of the roadway was raised about a dozen feet during a reconstruction project north of U.S. 20 and south of Bristol.

As the road rose, the driveways of several homeowners ramped up to meet it.

“The drop off on the edges of our driveway is unacceptable, the incline is also unacceptable,” said homeowner Tina Alwine. “We’re just asking for a safe driveway: Nothing more, nothing less.”

“They raised our road 12 to 13 feet with just an incredible incline that is unsafe and unsatisfactory, as far as we’re concerned,” said homeowner Debbie Detwiler.

Both the homeowners and the Indiana Department of Transportation agree that something needs to be done to straighten the slant of several driveways in the area.

At this point it’s unclear if the work will take place before the spring of 2010.

“They told us that it’s not going to be finished, so we have to live with those conditions for the winter,” said Debbie Detwiler.

Detwiler says her car slid off the driveway last winter when the slope was much less severe. She wonders what would happen if the scenario repeated itself with the new configuration of her driveway. “I can imagine it would almost be fatal.”

An INDOT spokesperson insists that the state’s hands are tied. As the Detwiler’s driveway rose to meet the road, an electric line hanging over the driveway—effectively lowered.

As it stands, the electric line is so low--construction trucks can’t bring in the materials needed to work on the Detwiler’s driveway.

The state is in the process of redesigning the driveway and waiting on NIPSCO to move the power line.

In order to complete the work this year, the utility relocation would have to happen before the asphalt plants shut down for the winter.

The Detwiler’s and the Alwine’s share one of the driveways in question. Both families are unwilling to take ‘no’ for an answer. “I don’t want anyone skidding off, I don’t want any accidents or death, just make it safe, that’s all I’m asking,” said Debbie Detwiler.