Indiana state leaders welcome construction on Fort to Port road

5/1/2008

FORT WAYNE, Ind. A $170 million road project that will boost the link between Fort Wayne and Toledo took another step forward when state leaders broke ground on the first Indiana section of the new U.S. 24.

The project dubbed "Fort to Port" drew praise for the safety improvements it will bring to a two-lane road where there has been a high number of fatal crashes.

"You will save lives on what has been known as the highway of death," state Rep. Randy Borror, R-Fort Wayne, told Gov. Mitch Daniels at the Wednesday ceremony.

The project will eventually link Fort Wayne and Toledo with an interstate-like highway. Indiana's portion is an 11-mile stretch from I-469 outside Fort Wayne to the Ohio line. The first segment is from west of Indiana 101 to the state line.

Ohio started construction last year, and the states plan to link the highway at the state line next year. Indiana will then complete the expansion west to New Haven.

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