Rough span of U.S. 24 should extend life
A rough road isn’t always a bad thing, especially if it reduces maintenance costs for taxpayers.
Q. I have noticed the recent resurfacing of U.S. 24 west of Liberty Mills Road seems to be rougher than the old surface. It appears the section between Liberty Mills Road and County Line Road is rougher than sections west of County Line. Is that section intended to be rougher? Rick Rifkin, Roanoke
A. Very perceptive, Rick, and you are correct: The section is intentionally rougher.
Toni Mayo, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said the new surface put on this section of U.S. 24 is called microsurfacing.
This is a mixture of components that result in more pavement noise than traditional street repaving with new asphalt.
The treatment is a method of preventive maintenance intended to extend the life of the road. She said the section of U.S. 24 west of Allen County was done in the traditional method, which has less pavement noise.
The amount of noise will decrease over time as more vehicles use it, Mayo said.
Q. It was never so welcome to see the work on Illinois Road progressing to the point of relieving some congestion at Hadley Road. It was a complete disappointment when they opened the additional right-turn lane only to realize they made it 50 feet or so. – Daniel Evans, Fort Wayne
A. Well, Daniel, I’m glad you like the new road even if you feel the turn lanes are too short.
INDOT’s Mayo, however, said all turn lanes at Hadley actually are several hundred feet long. The state’s project supervisor studied traffic flow throughout the intersection since it opened and has not seen unusual delays in turn lanes in any direction. A check of the traffic signal also didn’t reveal any problems.
Let’s hope the near completion of this area has alleviated your problems.
Q. Are there any plans to install a stoplight at the Lima and Hathaway roads intersection? This intersection is extremely busy in the mornings now that the new elementary school has opened along with the middle school just down the street. – Dave, Huntertown
A. Well, Dave, the good news is the state recently studied this intersection as a result of several complaints from the public.
Unfortunately, while there has been some increase in traffic on Hathaway because of development in the area, it hasn’t been enough to warrant a traffic signal at this time. Mayo, the state spokeswoman, said the state will monitor the intersection to see whether conditions change.
Radio Sage
This week I return to the airwaves after a holiday break. The bonus audio question comes from K. Howell, of Fort Wayne, who asks about Ley Road. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be found online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
