I try to fill in the missing pieces for what is going to be an important bridge project just west of downtown.
Q. Our backyard butts up to the Spring Street bridge. We would like to know what the finished project will look like and whether they will be building some sort of retaining or sound wall? – The Sprunger Addition Neighbors
A. You came to the right place.
Daniel Allen, with the Allen County Highway Department, said the project will replace the existing 40-foot-wide bridge deck with a new span 55 feet, 4 inches wide. This will provide room for an 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the north and south sides of the bridge, two through lanes in each direction and a center lane allowing left turns to the south from Spring Street to Leesburg Road.
As for your yards, the project will involve some work in the right-of-way on the north side of the street, but Allen said the county bought additional land only on the south side of Spring. Sidewalks will replace some grass on the northern right of way, but private property should not be affected. The property line was generally marked by a wooden fence, Allen said.
In addition, a precast retaining wall will be placed from Sprunger Avenue to the east and will stop at the bridge. The project also includes a new signal at the intersection and turn lanes on Leesburg and Spring. The wall will be between 3 and 4.5 feet high.
The bridge is to be closed Oct. 24 and won’t reopen until August 2012. The intersection of Spring and Leesburg will be closed for about 90 days next spring.
Q. Are you able to find out why the Pokagon State Park exit/intersection roads north of Angola are such a mess? The pavement is broken, full of potholes and humped on all approaches to I-69 and the park. – Julie F.
A. There is some good news, Julie, work will be coming to this area next year.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced several projects for the area to be done next year:
•Pavement replacement on Indiana 127, from County Road 400 North Indiana 727. This includes changing the road to a two-lane, non-divided section and improvements for the northbound Interstate 69 exit onto Indiana 127.
•Pavement resurfacing on Indiana 27 County Road 200 North to Indiana 120. A passing lane will be constructed at County Road 300 North.
•Pavement resurfacing on Indian 727, from Indiana 127 to the Pokagon State Park gatehouse. This includes a new pavement marking plan to accommodate 4-foot bike lanes on each side of Indiana 727.
Welcoming sign
Fort Wayne began installing one of its signs welcoming residents to downtown. The sign will be placed on the railroad overpass on Clinton Street between Superior and Main streets. Crews began working this week on the east side of the road.
They are scheduled to switch to the west side of the road on Oct. 20. Travel lanes will be reduced while the work is ongoing. The sign is expected to be installed by Nov. 1.
Slow truck ahead
Interstate drivers should prepare themselves for possible delays south of Fort Wayne. Beginning Monday, a slow-moving maintenance vehicle will travel along the shoulder of I-69 between exits 55 and 86 to inspect drains, the state announced. The vehicle will do the inspections from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. through Friday.
Radio Sage
This week’s audio question comes from Tammy O’Malley, who asks about debris along Interstate 69. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon and can be heard online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
