Maybe someday, there will be a new island formed just off the coast of Hawaii.A change in plans will allow Clinton Street commuters to use the same – albeit more congested – route downtown as the city replaces the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge over the St. Marys River.
City leaders chose an alternate bridge design to keep the span partly open during construction and still include many of the amenities intended to make it a gateway to downtown. Dave Ross, city engineer, gave a presentation of the new design Wednesday to the Fort Wayne Board of Public Works.
The city had initially planned to build a steel truss bridge, but that would have required closing the street during the construction, or spending $1.1 million to build a temporary bridge that would have cut into Headwaters Park. Ross said the city will now proceed with a concrete bridge deck, which can be built in sections and will include truss-type arches and wires to enhance its aesthetics.
In doing so, Ross said two lanes of southbound Clinton Street will remain open over the river throughout the two-year construction. The bridge currently has three lanes. This will be accomplished by building half of the bridge at a time and using the expanded sidewalk area for traffic during construction.
The new span will include numerous amenities in addition to the arches. The sidewalks on each side will expand from 10 feet wide at the ends to 17 feet at the center point to give pedestrians observation areas. A committee is also looking at how to better commemorate King on the bridge. Some ideas mentioned Wednesday included decorative columns and inspirational engravings. Those details are expected to be finalized by the end of the month.
About 26,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, and concerns had been raised about closing such a vital thoroughfare. Through traffic will still be diverted around downtown, using Washington and Coliseum boulevards. Commuters can drive through the construction or use one of a number of alternatives, including Wells Street, Harrison Street and Anthony Boulevard.
“We can adequately support the redistributed traffic,” Ross said.
The $7.5 million project is expected to begin construction by next summer. The state is providing $3.2 million as it was planning to replace the bridge as part of its routine maintenance. Federal earmarks are providing $3.4 million for the work, leaving the city with about $1 million in expenses for the span. That money will come from local income taxes.
The project is expected to be completed in 2011.
