FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – A gathering to celebrate the completion of the Dupont Road improvement project was held Wednesday morning on the Pufferbelly Trail on the south side of Dupont Road.
Mayor Tom Henry, area residents, business owners, members of City Council, and city staff all attended the celebration.
The project expanded Dupont Road to four lanes and added turn lanes to access neighborhoods. Also included in the project were sidewalks, trails to connect businesses and residents, new ADA ramps and crosswalks, new traffic and pedestrian signals, decorative lighting and landscaping, stormwater management updates and new water mains to increase capacity.
The project also included part of the Pufferbelly Trail which is a segment of the 80-mile State Visionary Trail that connects Ouabache State Park in Bluffton to Pokagon State Park in Angola. The Pufferbelly Trail now runs underneath Dupont Road and also connects to the east and west trail that runs along Dupont Road between Coldwater Road and Lima Road.
There are more than 3,000 residents that live in homes, apartments, and condos that have direct access to this part of Dupont Road.
The daily vehicle count in 1990 was 7,500 and now is more than 25,000.
The project cost $12.1 million with Federal money funding 80% and the other 20% with local funds.
“This project has exceptional design features along with safer connections for walkers, bicyclists and motorists. Over the years, we’ve heard many stories of residents having to get in their cars to drive across the street because there wasn’t a safe place to cross. Now, you can walk under the road or use the new crosswalks,” said Mayor Henry. “Investing in this evolving corridor will have a positive impact on neighborhoods, residents and businesses.”
“The Dupont Road corridor needed a complete overhaul. The area has experienced phenomenal growth in the past 30 years, with new housing additions, retail shops and businesses, and community attractions. During that time traffic on this road more than tripled, to 25,000 cars per day,” said Shan Gunawardena, City of Fort Wayne Public Works Director. “This project addresses safety and congestion and adds a unique trail underpass to the Pufferbelly Trail.”
