The section of Illinois Road plagued by peat has sprouted a new problem. The Indiana Department of Transportation recently placed orange barrels around a large crack in the pavement, essentially blocking off a large section of the middle turn lane.
Toni Mayo, department spokeswoman, said the state’s central office is investigating to determine the scope and possible solutions for the problem, which she said are related to the previous issues in the area.
In 2009 crews discovered a large area of peat that ran dozens of feet deep in some areas near Carnegie Boulevard, just west of Interstate 69. The soft, organic black dirt was unsuitable for building, and dealing with it added about $4 million in cost to the Illinois Road widening project. Since that time, the state installed monitors in the pavement to measure the movement of the ground.
Mayo said the road is still safe to use and would be closed if it wasn’t. She promised to provide a more detailed explanation of the current problem when it becomes available.
E-mail bag
Q. Woods Road has been in disrepair for some time. Crews stripped it from the Huntertown limits to Hand Road, and it has been downgraded to a gravel road! What gives? – Mike Roth
A. Not to worry, Mike, this “downgrade” is only the first step in the repairs.
Randy Knach, Allen County Highway Department’s north maintenance barn supervisor, agreed with you that Woods Road is heavily traveled and was in poor shape.
The county is basically being forced to rebuild the road because of its condition. He said crews placed additional base on the road and then milled it into the old road for a better total base. The county also placed calcium chloride into the new base to help stabilize it and control dust. The road will be chipped and sealed within the next month, weather permitting.
Downtown clearing
The traffic snarls around downtown will soon be over. Wayne Asphalt placed binder along Ewing Street late last week and will have the paving work complete by Wednesday. The $1.6 million storm-sewer project forced the city to close Ewing at several intersections, including at Superior, forcing the city to convert one-way Fairfield to allow two-way traffic. Main Street and Berry Street have been closed at Ewing as crews worked on a sewer separation project.
These closures are a little longer than expected, but the city will at least keep one promise: The downtown roads will be open in time for the Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival. I know my commute will much appreciate it.
Radio Sage
This week’s bonus audio question comes from Matt Collins, who asks about Interstate 469 near Maplecrest Road. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be heard online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
