The long-awaited expansion of Ardmore Avenue is finally under way, at least procedurally.
The Fort Wayne Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved the project to expand and upgrade the road from Jefferson Boulevard to Taylor Street.
With the approval, the city will open bids for the work Feb. 24, and construction will begin this spring. The project, originally estimated to cost $5.5 million, is expected to be done by Oct. 30.
Landscaping work will likely take longer.
Dave Ross, city engineer, said the city will close this section of Ardmore during construction so the work is done as quickly as possible. Access roads will be built for properties on Ardmore that can’t be reached from other public streets, he said.
The work includes widening the two-lane street to four lanes with the addition of a tree-lined median. A sound-barrier wall will be constructed on the east side of the road, shielding the Wildwood Park neighborhood.
Ross said the four-way stop at Ardmore and North Washington Road will be removed. Drivers will no longer be able to turn left from Washington to Ardmore from either direction. Vehicles also won’t be allowed to go straight across Ardmore, Ross said, because the median will block access.
A pedestrian crossing will be constructed at North Washington, including a full signal to stop vehicles so people can cross safely.
Ross said that when finished, the road’s speed limit will be 30 mph. He said the city will take steps to keep traffic somewhat slower, such as reducing lane sizes from 12 feet wide to 11 feet wide.
Between Jefferson and Taylor, Ardmore carries between 12,500 and 14,500 vehicles daily, according to a 2007 traffic count.
While the road is closed, the official detour will use the existing truck route. Northbound Ardmore vehicles will take Taylor Street east to Freeman Street north to Jefferson Boulevard. Southbound drivers will take the opposite route.
Ross said drivers who could avoid the area should do so but admitted there weren’t many alternatives.
Gina Kostoff, board chair, said the project is a good compromise for the heavy truck traffic on Ardmore and the concerns of the nearby neighborhoods.
“I think it’s going to be a beautiful improvement,” she said.
