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Fort Wayne’s new signature bridge could be completed by the end of Mayor Tom Henry’s term.
The Fort Wayne Board of Public Works approved a contract Wednesday between the city and the Indiana Department of Transportation for the $8.1 million Clinton Street bridge over the St. Marys River.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge was scheduled to be replaced by the state, and the city agreed to partner with the state transportation department to make it more than a simple concrete span.
“This is a rather unique project,” City Engineer David Ross said. “It is a gateway for entry to our downtown area. It does have a lot of significance.”
The city completed three public workshops to allow residents to help select the style for the new bridge. An arched, truss-style bridge with pedestrian/bike trails on both sides was chosen. Final design details will be determined as the project progresses.
The approved contract sets a timeline and budget for the project. The state will pay $6.2 million, while the city is responsible for $1.9 million. Ross said the city hopes construction can begin in 2010 and the work would be completed in 2011, the last year of Henry’s current term.
Other than serving as an aesthetic entrance to Fort Wayne, the project will reduce maintenance costs for the state and coincide with the state’s plan to improve Clinton north of the bridge in the future. The bridge was built in 1967 and rehabilitated in 1985. Its sufficiency rating is 64.6 out of 100. The city said this is a concern but that there is no immediate threat to public safety.
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