This $45 million road extension project plays a major role in improving the transportation mobility for Allen County and the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven. The project includes design of 1.5 miles of new 4-lane roadway section with curb and gutter through a highly industrialized urban area. Four new bridges were designed for this project, the first of which is a 1,117-ft structure over Nelson Road and Norfolk Southern railroad. The second bridge is a 96’-0 single span over four Norfolk and Southern railroad tracks. A special crashwall was designed at the north end bent to account for the railroad loads. Special consideration was given to accommodate a crane that moves along the tracks below. The third bridge is a 900-ft structure with a sidewalk spanning the Maumee River, and the final bridge is a single-span structure with a sidewalk over Treatment Plant Road. Additionally, the project includes design of new storm sewers, sidewalks, traffic signing, and three at-grade intersections, including two traffic signal designs. A significant challenge in this project was coordinating the design of all the bridges to reflect phased construction of two of the four lanes, which could be separated by as much as five years. There were also difficult considerations in studying the pier and beam spacing.

