Eastown Road opens to traffic on Friday

LIMA - Shopper, start your engines.

Eastown Road, a favorite route between Elm Street and the Lima Mall and the slew of stores along Elida Road, will officially reopen at 5 p.m. today, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

Allen County Engineer Tim Piper announced Thursday that crews have made enough progress on the $5.6 million upgrade project to open it up at least through the end of the year and possibly longer.

"It's going to remain open at least through the holidays and into January. It's possible it could remain open until March, depending on how things go," Piper said.

Eastown Road has been closed between Allentown and Cable roads since June as part of a three-stage program to widen and extend the increasingly busy route.

The road will be widened from two to five lanes; the railroad tracks will be widened; the bridge will be replaced; new stop lights will be installed at Elida Road; and new water lines, storm drains and sanitary sewers will be installed.

Piper said water and sewer lines have already been installed and the bridge has been rebuilt. In the spring, the existing road will be widened and the remaining work completed.

Work on the final phase of the project, extending Eastown Road between Elm Street and state Route 117, will begin next year and is expected to continue through spring 2010. Piper said he will be as happy to see the end of construction as the drivers and residents along the route.

"We're looking forward to the completion of both of those projects and getting that road open so we'll have a nice thoroughfare out there," Piper said.

The road has been closed to traffic off-and-on since late 2004. Road crews will continue to work on segments of the roadside through the winter. Drivers are being asked to be aware of workers.