Sometimes projects take much longer than expected, but that can happen when digging in the ground.
Q. Please look into the non-progress of the project closing Covington Road for 34 days and counting. The project, for a new storm water pipe, I’ve been told, has largely left expensive equipment sitting idle for weeks now. Thousands of commuters and other motorists are forced to detour around it. Please help. – Duane Schuman
A. Duane, I hope by now you have realized the relief of the completion of this project that seemed to follow Murphy’s Law.
Mary Jane Slaton, with City Utilities, said the project has been completed and the road is open after several delays. For one, rain and snow during the last few weeks stalled construction.
But the contractor also discovered that the sewer pipe was deeper than shown in the plans because of a sag in the line. This forced the city to order a special manhole, which took longer to create because of the Thanksgiving holiday. After Thanksgiving, the contractor received the manhole and started to install it, only to have it rain and flood the trench.
After the trench dried, the manhole was installed. Just before laying the asphalt, the water main in Covington Road developed a leak and needed repairs. In addition, somewhere during the process, the contractor hit a natural gas line, further causing problems.
Finally on Dec. 12, the project was substantially complete, which is about a month longer than expected for what was to be a fairly quick project. While this project had several delays, I hope you can at least enjoy the road now being open.
Clinton changes
Drivers should have noticed a slight change in traveling on Clinton Street this week. On Friday, the state moved the two lanes of traffic to the east side of the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge. The left lane was closed, but the change means the right lane will be closed.
Yes, this means progress is being made on the bridge, which should open early next year. Toni Mayo, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said the state will have to close the street for two weeks to place the arches, but that is dependent on weather. If there is a large snowstorm, the work could be delayed until February.
The road will eventually open but likely won’t be fully complete until the spring, she said.
Holiday safety
As Hoosiers hit the road over the holidays, the state wants to remind motorists to plan ahead and check road conditions before heading out in the cold.
The state even offers tools to help in your journey. Drivers can review a map of any snow emergencies online at getprepared.in.gov or check out the latest information on road closures at trafficwise.in.gov or by calling 1-800-261-ROAD. While the site does not offer real-time traffic information for northeast Indiana, it does offer helpful information for the state and lists state road restrictions throughout Fort Wayne.
Another tip is to let friends and family know your itinerary so they can check on you. But if you say you will notify someone on arrival, please do. I personally don’t like being worried because Mrs. Road Sage said she would text me, only to later realize she forgot.
So I ask you to be safe, take your time and have a wonderful holiday season.
Radio Sage
The audio question of the week comes from John Carr, who questioned the use of certain speed zone signs in Allen County. The segment was played initially on WOWO Friday afternoon and can be found online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
