Ft Wayne Times

June 27, 2024 - The City of Fort Wayne has been awarded an estimated $3.8 million in federal grant funding from the 2024 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program by the US Department of Transportation.

This project will plan multi-modal surface transportation enhancements along four corridors in the southeast quadrant of the city. The corridors include S. Anthony Boulevard, Paulding Road, Fairfield Avenue, and E. Tillman Road. The interconnected network of streets will be redesigned to address high crash rates and speeding issues. Designs will aim to calm traffic by reducing speeds through narrowed lanes and roadway reconfigurations to increase safety.

Plans for walking and biking infrastructure are intended to create more accessible transportation options from surrounding neighborhoods and connect to transit hubs that provide links to work, commerce, and recreation throughout the city. These planning efforts seek to encourage modes of travel that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Investing in local infrastructure projects is one of the most important things that we do to help Fort Wayne be the best city possible for residents, neighborhoods, and businesses,” said Mayor Sharon Tucker. “It’s great to see our Public Works Division partnering with the federal government to bring needed funding to our community to make these important improvements.”

The planning portion of the RAISE grant covers 100% of the engineering costs. Once this project has been engineered and construction costs have been estimated, the Public Works Division will apply for a construction grant through the RAISE program.

Since 2014, the City has invested more than $340 million in neighborhood infrastructure enhancements.