FORT WAYNE (April 30, 2008) - Governor Mitch Daniels, together with local and state officials, broke ground today on the first of four phases to build the Fort to Port project. The $170 million Major Moves construction project will improve access between Fort Wayne to the Port of Toledo, and, with the Hoosier Heartland Corridor, complete the long-awaited stretch from Lafayette to Ohio.
Indianacompanies have won all of the contracts for the $200 million of work the Indiana Department of Transportation's (INDOT) Fort Wayne District has awarded in the past two years, including the $11 million contract to Fort Wayne-based Primco, Inc., for the first phase of Fort to Port.
"Our waiting is over. A safer road and countless new jobs are finally on their way, without a dollar of new taxes or new borrowing. Hoosiers are showing America how to solve problems and protect taxpayers at the same time," said Daniels.
The US 24 project will fulfill a long-standing commitment by the states of Ohio and Indiana, local governments, regional planning commissions, and citizens to improve US 24 between Fort Wayne and Toledo. Studies on improvements to US 24 were initiated years ago for safety and economic development reasons.
The Fort to Port Corridor includes added capacity for a 13.1-mile section of US 24, which is currently a two-lane rural road with inadequate capacity. When combined with the Hoosier Heartland Corridor, the new, limited access travel corridor allows for the distribution of products from Lafayette to the Great Lakes ports. The project has an anticipated completion date of late 2012.
Late last fall, the governor directed INDOT to include two interchanges as part of the project. Those interchanges - one at Webster Road and one at State Road 101 - will be built two years ahead of schedule. One pedestrian overpass for non-motorized vehicles will be built at Ryan/Bruick Road.
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Media contact: Stacie McCormick, INDOT Fort Wayne District, 260/399-7330
Media contact: Jane Jankowski, Office of the Governor, 317/232-1622, jjankowski@gov.in.gov
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