[1] Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened in 1970 and is located on Lake Michigan at the intersection of U.S. Route 12 and Indiana State Road 249.

Two key arguments used by Bethlehem in their successful campaign were increased national security from the production of American steel, and the creation of well-paid jobs in a field that was then dominated by the United Steelworkers union.

Making steel in the Burns Harbor area required support from the federal government because of the shallow waters of Lake Michigan offshore from the sand dunes.

In order to make it possible for lake freighters to bring iron ore, coal, and limestone to the steel mills, extensive dredging and engineering work was necessary.

In 2024 the State Road 249 bridge over U.S. Route 12 was twinned, potentially doubling the capacity of ocean-going cargo at the port.

In August 2019, ArcelorMittal inadvertently vented elevated levels of ammonia and cyanide from a Burns Harbor blast furnace into the Little Calumet River.