A sage reader helps improve traffic flow for others.
Q. Everyone heading from the St. Joe and Maplecrest roads intersection turning onto Mayhew Road is supposed to stop before turning right. There are so many green arrows around town indicating that a turn on red is permitted that this seems like a no-brainer, because oncoming traffic on St. Joe has no left-turn arrow. Most people do not stop there, anyhow, so why not put up a green right-turn arrow to make it legal? – Dave Scherer
A. Keep traffic moving, avoid congestion and minimize pollution? It does seem to make excellent sense, Dave, and the county agrees with you.
Shan Gunawardena, Fort Wayne traffic engineer, said the county agreed with making the change. The city maintains traffic signals for the county. Of course, you should already know your idea has merit, as the city made the change late last week.
For those benefiting from the new arrow, make sure to give Dave his due.
Q. What is the scope and timing of the project just started on Wayne Trace between Oxford Street and the roundabouts? – Patrick Gotschall
A. I’ll be happy to share the details on this work, Patrick.
Gunawardena, city traffic engineer, said the project includes the replacement of the roadway between McKee and Oxford along with the installation of a new storm sewer. Existing driveways will be replaced with new ones, and sidewalks will be constructed on the east side.
In addition, street lighting will be added on the east side, and street trees will be planted on both sides of Wayne Trace.
The project is scheduled for completion by October. Enjoy it this fall.
Road closures
•Hursh Road between Auburn Road and Tonkel Road will be closed Monday for bridge reconstruction work. Drivers can use Union Chapel Road to the south or Vandolah Road to the north for a detour. The work is expected to last until Aug. 14.
•Rupert Road between Hurshtown Road and Springfield Center Road will be closed Monday for road repairs. Drivers can use Bull Rapids Road to the west or Indiana 101 to the east for a detour. The work is expected to be completed by Friday
Greenway detours
•Repairs to the Fort Wayne Rivergreenway around the city’s water plant will force walkers and bikers to detour for the next several weeks. Users will be directed to the traffic light to the south of the river on Lafayette Street to avoid the underpass on Spy Run.
Sidewalks on the west side of Spy Run will connect users back to the St. Marys path, and sidewalks on the east side will connect travelers with the St. Joe and Maumee paths. Signs will be posted, and the repairs are expected to be complete in three weeks.
•The trail section between Hartman Road and Airport Expressway was recently reopened after being closed for nearly a year during construction on a flood control project. Paving is complete and the trail is open, but some restoration work will continue this summer.
Stay off the tracks
A new safety campaign is being launched to keep pedestrians and recreational motorists off railroad tracks. The Common Sense campaign is directed at 18- to 34-year-olds, who make up the largest chunk of casualties from track trespassing, according to the non-profit group Operation Lifesaver.
The group reported seven deaths from railroad trespassing last year in Indiana, a drop from 14 in 2007. In the past three years, the state has had 32 trespassing deaths and 39 injuries. The message is simple and obvious: Don’t fish, ride or walk on train tracks, because you never know when a train is coming.
New stimulus projects
The state recently announced a list of road projects to be paid for by federal stimulus money. The ones in the area are:
•Bridge deck overlay on Indiana 218 over Wagley Farlow Ditch in Adams County
•Lighting on Interstate 69 at Lower Huntington Road in Allen County.
•Small bridge replacement on Indiana 5 over Loon Creek 3.2 miles south of U.S. 224 in Huntington County.
•Bridge deck overlay on Indiana 124 over Brook Creek in Huntington County.
•Maintenance of Interstate 69 from 1.84 miles south of Huntington County Line to 1.55 miles south of Indiana 124 in Huntington County.
•Surface treatment of U.S. 24 from Indiana 9 to 1.66 miles east of Indiana 9 in Huntington County.
•Bridge deck overlay on Indiana 13 over Paw Paw Creek in Wabash County.
Radio Sage
This week’s bonus audio question comes from Brad Stinson, regarding the intersection of Maplecrest and Rothman roads. It originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be found online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
