December 12, 2018 - Record street, sidewalk and curb repair was implemented in more than 190 neighborhoods in 2018, and today Mayor Tom Henry joined residents of the Lima Valley neighborhood to celebrate their neighborhood improvements.
“Infrastructure work in neighborhoods matters and this year was another clear demonstration of our ongoing commitment to making meaningful and lasting improvements in neighborhoods throughout Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Henry. “Meeting the needs of residents and neighborhoods position our community as a welcoming and attractive place where individuals, families, and businesses want to be. It’s great to have been part of a record-breaking year of construction projects.”
The Lima Valley neighborhood improvements are part of an approach the City began five years ago. To be less intrusive with messy construction projects, neighborhood make-overs occur in one construction season, with improvement needs happening on multiple streets and sidewalks. In Lima Valley, repairs occurred on 11 streets, with sidewalk and curb improvements throughout the 176 home neighborhood. Comprehensive neighborhood projects were completed at North Franke Park, Pine Valley, and the Windrift Association. Work on neighborhood projects in Caribe Colony, Greater McMillen Park and Deerfield Estates will continue through next year. Major reconstruction projects are also underway for improvements on Dupont Road, State Boulevard, Ardmore Avenue near Fort Wayne International Airport, and Maysville Road.
This year brought a record investment of $30 million in neighborhood improvements. More than 500 projects were completed this year. The projects include improvements along Ardmore Avenue, Brooklyn Avenue, Calhoun Street, Creighton Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, and North Anthony Boulevard. Six miles of sidewalk repair and new sidewalks were added on St. Joe Center Road, Bluffton Road, Winchester Road and Old Decatur Road. More than three miles of alley reconstruction was also completed.
2018 by the numbers:
41 miles of asphalt resurfacing
4.3 miles of concrete reconstruction
11.6 miles of chip and seal street improvements
13.5 miles of concrete walk construction and repair
16.4 miles of concrete curb
5.1 miles of trail
3.3 miles of alley resurfacing
Five Years of Neighborhood Work, More on the Way
The completion of nearly 2,000 neighborhood projects over the past five years is a direct result of the record neighborhood investment in the City of Fort Wayne. Investments of more than $130 million in local funding for neighborhood infrastructure projects have occurred since 2014. Neighborhood infrastructure investment tops $200 million when Federal funding and grants are taken into account.
The trend will continue in 2019 as significant improvements are scheduled for:
- Maplecrest Road – State Boulevard to Trier Road with travel lane additions/sidewalk/trail
- Neighborhood Projects – Woodhurst, Aboite Meadows, Hillsboro
- New Sidewalk additions – Reed Road, Hessen Cassell Road
- New Trails – Hanna Street, Beckett’s Run
The full list of 2019 projects will be announced in the spring.