Thursday, February 21, 2008

MLK Bridge Makeover Slated

‘Gateway' bridge contract wins OK
City, state hammer out details on St. Marys span, 2011 debut
Link (JG)

"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."

[...]

"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"

2 comments:

brian spaulding said...

This is great news.

This particular bridge desperately needs a redesign. I can't belive how many people squeeze into the thin sidewalks during Three Rivers Festival with multiple lanes of traffic whizzing by.

Hopefully the new bridge also complements the Rivergreenway by adequately allowing for bicycle traffic as well.

J Q Taxpayer said...

The bridge needs to be made wider for the traffic and people walking on the sidewalks. The bridge will only see more and more traffic as downtown Fort Wayne grows.

Let us hope the design is such as it no longer is the "catcher" of every tree floating in the St. Mary's. This only adds to the flood problems.