Delayed event signals official opening of 1.5 mile east corridor connector…
(November 2, 2012) — After pulling together for decades to get the Maplecrest Road extension constructed, officials from Allen County and the cities of Fort Wayne and New Haven had to wait a few more days for the weather to cooperate so they could celebrate the project’s completion.
But three days after the new road was opened to traffic, elected leaders and residents gathered with scissors in hand at the intersection of Maplecrest and Nelson Road to cut the ceremonial ribbon.
The celebration — dubbed “Connecting Communities” — was to have preceded the opening of the road. But a mixture of sleet, rain and high winds on Tuesday forced officials to postpone the event until today.
“The weather may have forced us to change our celebration plans,” Commissioner Linda Bloom told the audience, “but it wasn’t going to delay the motoring public from using this new road.”
The Maplecrest extension represents the largest infrastructure project Allen County government has ever overseen, extending Maplecrest from Lake Avenue to Adams Center Road at Indiana 930 in New Haven. It features construction of one and a-half miles of new four-lane roadway with curb and gutter and four new bridges. Also included are new storm sewers and a multi-use trail.
The new highway is expected to help spur economic growth in the area. Total economic output from post-construction private investment is projected to exceed $715 million over a period of 11 years, according to a 2008 analysis.
The Maplecrest extension is also expected to provide a safer, more efficient route for motorists.
The connection of area streets and roads to the new highway will alleviate obstructions caused by two sets of high-volume rail lines and the Maumee River. Also, traffic congestion in the area is expected to be reduced.
Approximately $31.4 million has been spent on the project – well under the engineer’s projected cost of close to $50 million. A final figure is not expected for several weeks.
