FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — While the official start of summer doesn’t come until late June, warmer temperatures have already hit the area and that can only mean one thing: construction.

It has already been a busy construction season within Fort Wayne city limits.

There are various projects all over. From big developments like The Pearl and Electric Works that impact traffic, to regular paving and streetscape work.

There are additional closures and restrictions this year in downtown and near the rivers related to Fort Wayne City Utilities’ work to build new drop shafts connecting to the Deep Rock Tunnel.

As City Utilities nears the finish line of its 18-year, federally mandated plan to reduce sewage flowing into the rivers, it has meant a lot more construction as they install new storm drains.

Below are all of the current road closures and lane restrictions in Fort Wayne:

Street(s) affected	From	To	Start Date	Est. End Date	Type	Description
W Washington Blvd	S Hanna St	Broadway	5/22/2023	6/2/2023	Lane Restriction	FW Street Dept. will be milling and paving the road
Hillegas Rd just south of Independence Dr	None	None	5/22/2023	6/9/2023	Road Closure	Installation of new sewer pipe
NB Coldwater Rd	Washington Center Rd	Oakbrook Pkwy	5/22/2023	6/9/2023	Lane Restriction	INDOT road construction project
Pearl St	S Harrison St	Maiden Ln	5/17/2023	6/7/2023	Lane Restriction	Gas line installation at The Pearl
Lafayette St	E Berry St	Baltes Ave	5/16/2023	5/31/2023	Lane Restriction	Utility work for bridge construction
Goshen Rd	Harris Rd	Gateway Shopping Center	5/15/2023	8/11/2023	Lane Restriction	Goshen Rd rework for new driveway entrance and road widening to Franke Park, sidewalk, crosswalk, storm drain, and light poles
Columbia Ave	St Joe Blvd	Lafort St	5/9/2023	5/31/2023	Lane Restriction	Public Works Transportation Engineering project
S Anthony Blvd	Simons St	E Rudisill Blvd	5/8/2023	5/31/2023	Lane Restriction	FW Street Dept. milling and paving the road
W Berry St	S Harrison St	Maiden Ln	5/8/2023	6/2/2023	Lane Restriction	One lane and bike lane closed for streetscaping
Ewing St	W Main St	W Superior St	5/8/203	6/12/2023	Lane Restriciton	Sewer, storm, and water installation
W Superior St	S Harrison St	Ewing St	5/8/2023	6/12/2023	Lane Restriction	Sewer, storm, and water installation
W Berry St	S Calhoun St	S Harrison St	5/8/2023	6/2/2023	Lane Restriction	Streetscaping as part of the Ashberry Project
Ferguson Rd	Bluffton Rd	Ardmore Ave	5/6/2023	6/2/2023	Road Closure	Gas line work
St Joe Center Rd	N Clinton St	St Joe Rd	4/25/2023	8/20/2023	Lane restriction	Road widening & suface improvements as part of a PW Transportation Engineering project.
Alley R00747 E-W	Beaver Ave	Broadway	4/21/2023	6/16/2023	Road Closure	Removal & replacement of existing concrete
Alley R01884 N-S	Mckee St	Colerick St	4/21/2023	6/16/2023	Road Closure	Removal & replacement of existing concrete
SB N Wells St	Fernhill Ave	Franke Park Dr	4/10/2023	6/9/2023	Road Closure	Multi-month AEP underground powerline project
Fairfiled Terrace / Belmont Nbhd	None	None	3/27/2023	9/6/2023	Lane Restriction	COFW Concrete Street Improvement Project
E Pontiac St	S Hanna St	S Anthony Blvd	3/20/2023	7/17/2023	Road Closure	FW Community Development neighborhood improvement project
W Superior St	Ewing St	Van Buren St	3/6/2023	7/10/2023	Road Closure	Water main installation
Maiden Ln	W Main St	W Berry St	3/1/2023	8/1/2023	Road Closure	Closed to accommodate construct to parking garage on W. Berry
E State Blvd	Mathias St	Simcoe Ct	2/27/2023	9/1/2023	Lane Restriction	Lane restrictions
E Ludwig Rd	Coldwater Rd	Summit Dr	2/27/2023	6/1/2023	Lane Restriction	Lane restrictions on Ludwig Rd-Summit Dr to Coldwater Rd and Oakbrook Pkwy-Ludwig Rd to Coldwater Rd
Oakbrook Pkwy	Colwater Rd	Summit Dr	2/27/2023	6/1/2023	Lane Restriction	Lane restrictions on Ludwig Rd-Summit Dr to Coldwater Rd and Oakbrook Pkwy-Ludwig Rd to Coldwater Rd
Pear St	Ewing St	Maiden Ln	6/27/2022	5/6/2024	Road Closure	The Pearl project and streetscape
Webster St	Pear	W Main	2/20/2022	1/19/2024	Road Closure	Building Demolition
Leykauf St	Jackson	Union	9/20/2021	4/30/2024	Road Closure	Electric Works phase 2 construction

Mapping out all of the above projects shows that there is a cluster of work being done in downtown Fort Wayne, with many marks for a restriction or closure sitting on top of each other in the downtown area.

The above list, which shows all current projects, doesn’t include projects that have been announced, but haven’t taken effect yet.

One such project is an upcoming closure on Old Mill Road near the entrance to Foster Park.

While the extra work has meant extra headaches, the director of Fort Wayne City Utilities, Kumar Menon, outlined the positives surrounding their sewer work in April. He asked for patience from residents.

Menon said the new pipes they’re installing will last 100 years or more. He added that the construction now will mean cleaner rivers and a better Fort Wayne for future generations.

“It is a pain, yes,” Menon explained. “Construction is always a pain, but it’s a point in time. It is not something that’s going to happen endlessly. There is going to be light at the end of the tunnel. Literally and figuratively, there is going to be light at the end of the tunnel and it’s going to be a good thing for the entire community. Please put up with our orange barrels for now, it’s going to go away soon and when it does, we will have a better city to live in. “

Fort Wayne City Utilities is on year 16 of its 18-year plan, and 2025 is the target year to have the work completed and officially activate the Deep Rock Tunnel.

As for other work around town, many of the current projects are expected to be completed in the next two weeks.

For a complete overview of all of the work being done in Fort Wayne, the Public Works website maps out all restrictions, closures, and other construction projects.