Drivers across Allen County have been hit with a glut of road construction projects this summer.
The combination of federal stimulus money, revenue from the Indiana Toll Road lease and normal state and local maintenance work has helped make this a summer to forget for drivers.
In some neighborhoods, it feels as if every road is under construction.
With the calendar now flipped to July – marking the approximate halfway point for road construction season – the following breakdown provides a little more information on the status of some of the larger projects in Allen County, along with what to expect in the weeks and months ahead.
Illinois Road
Project: Widen Illinois from Interstate 69 to Scott Road to five lanes, including a middle left-turn lane; work also includes a 10-foot trail on the road’s south side and a regular sidewalk built on the north
Cost: $14.2 million
Status: Paving on the project is complete, and all lanes were open for the holiday weekend. Permanent lane markings and landscaping work remain, which should begin this week and be completed by mid-August.
Fort to Port
Project: Converting U.S. 24 to a four-lane highway between Fort Wayne and Toledo
Cost: 11-mile stretch in Indiana will cost $170 million; Ohio is investing $420 million for its 58-mile reconstruction
Status: Webster Road from old U.S. 24 to Slusher Road is closed but should reopen this year. The entire Indiana project, stretching from Interstate 469 to the state line, is expected to be finished by late 2012.
Lima Road
Project: Widen Lima to three northbound and three southbound lanes from south of Ludwig Road to north of Dupont Road; center median will be raised to separate opposing traffic; curbs and gutters will be added; and other drainage work will be done; an 8-foot-wide trail will be constructed on both sides
Cost: $23 million
Status: Wallen Road just east of Lima will remain closed for the short term. The northbound lanes from Wallen to Dupont will be complete by the end of July. Traffic will then be shifted to those lanes to allow crews to work on the southbound lanes, which should be complete in October. The section from Wallen to Ludwig will be done next year.
Indiana 930
Project: Repaving from the cloverleaf with Coliseum Boulevard to just west of Minnich Road in New Haven
Cost: $1.7 million
Status: Work is scheduled to start in a few weeks – causing lane closures during milling and paving – and should be complete in October.
Downtown streets
Project: Repaving Wayne Street, Berry Street, Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard
Cost: $1.5 million
Status: Milling and paving work have been completed. The contractor is waiting for paint to complete the final road markings; project should be finished by September.
Jefferson Boulevard
Project: Repaving Jefferson from Lutheran Hospital to Illinois Road
Cost: $1.3 million
Status: Milling and paving work have been completed. The contractor is waiting for paint to do the final road markings; project should be complete by September.
Clinton Street bridge
Project: Reconstruct the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge on Clinton over the St. Marys River; will include truss-type arches and cables to enhance its aesthetics
Cost: $7.5 million
Status: Utilities are being relocated in the construction area, which should be done soon. Construction should begin this month with completion in June 2011. Two lanes of the three-lane bridge are expected to remain open during construction.
Ardmore Avenue
Project: Widening the two-lane road to four lanes from Taylor Street to Jefferson Boulevard with the addition of a tree-lined median; four-way stop at North Washington Road will be removed, and drivers will no longer be able to turn left from North Washington onto Ardmore from either direction. The project will also include street lighting and a pedestrian crossing at North Washington.
Cost: $3.2 million
Status: Work is slightly ahead of schedule and is expected to be finished by the end of October. This section of the road is closed during construction.
Washington Center/Dartmouth intersection
Project: Adding left-turn lanes on Washington Center Road to ease traffic congestion
Cost: Estimated $2.6 million
Status: The city is still acquiring right of way for the project, and the construction contract will be bid this fall.
Aboite Center Road
Project: Widening Aboite Center to four lanes from West Jefferson Boulevard to Coventry Lane; will include an 8-foot-wide path on the north side and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the south
Cost: $6.6 million
Status: First phase from Dickie Road to Coventry will be finished by the end of July, which is slightly behind schedule after American Electric Power crews were called away to help communities hit by storms. The section under construction is closed to traffic. The entire project should be complete by mid-October.
Maplecrest Road
Project: Extend Maplecrest south from Lake Avenue to Indiana 930 in New Haven; 1.5-mile extension includes constructing four bridges and will cross a set of Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, providing safer access to the Riverhaven community
Cost: A little more than $30 million in construction costs
Status: Allen County has run into soil problems in trying to construct the bridges, adding $1.7 million to the project. The work is still expected to be completed in the fall of 2012. The southern sections likely will be completed and open first, providing better access for residents and police and fire officials to Riverhaven.
Indiana 1
Project: Widening between Gerig and Wayne streets in Leo-Cedarville; also includes a new traffic signal at intersection with Amstutz Road
Cost: $590,000
Status: It is scheduled for completion in mid-August.
