Road improvements sometimes don’t stretch as far as we want them.

Q. When Aboite Center Road between Coventry Lane and Winterfield Run was widened to four lanes, a small section of the eastbound lane near Winterfield was not completed. Why was that not finished, and are there plans to complete it soon? – John Good, Fort Wayne

A. Unfortunately, John, there aren’t such plans.

In fact, that section seems to have been just outside the county’s expansion plans. According to Mike Eckert, with the Allen County Highway Department, the project started 300 feet east of Winterfield Run and extended to 700 feet east of West Jefferson Boulevard. So it seems you missed it by a football field.

The project included resurfacing of the pavement on the north side of Aboite Center Road west to Winterfield Run, which was 24 feet wide.

The pavement on the south side of Aboite Center east of Winterfield was 12 feet and the project ended there. The existing south-side widening at Winterfield was designed to create a right-turn and passing blister and should not be confused with an additional through lane, Eckert said.

As I’m sure you are aware, the area around this section of Aboite Center Road has been annexed by Fort Wayne, and the city would need to be contacted for any additional widening.

Q. On I-69 north, (near) the 124-mile marker, there is ongoing construction of a rest plaza. At times, there is a “frenzy” of activity, other times, there’s nobody around for weeks. What gives? – Ralph Thiele

A. Work is continuing, Ralph, even if you can’t always see it.

Toni Mayo, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said five contractors are working inside the plaza. Work began on the rest stop in April 2011 and is expected to be done by mid-November, on schedule.

Numbering update

State crews began renumbering of mile markers Wednesday along Interstate 69 to compensate for the extension of the freeway to Evansville. INDOT crews worked in two 10-hour shifts, and by 11 p.m. Thursday, the crews had changed 69 signs (including mile markers and new exit signs) from the Michigan border south to Exit 329 (Old Exit 129 – Indiana 8). After they hit the south border of Grant County, crews will begin changing the signs for northbound lanes. Motorists should expect some delays in these work zones.

Mile markers and exit signs will jump by 200 to accommodate the expansion of the interstate south of Indianapolis. The work is expected to be completed in two months.

Radio Sage

This week’s audio question comes from Hoagland resident R.L.C., who asked about improvements to Minnich Road. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be heard online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.