By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A rehabilitation project on the Wendell Macklin Bridge in Decatur in late April is expected to cause major traffic problems.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is scheduled to begin the work on Monday, April 27, and may close the Monroe St./US 224 bridge for up to four months, until the end of August, according to INDOT officials.
It may not be finished before the start of the 2026-27 school year, officials said.
All work is, of course, subject to weather conditions.
The project involves a bridge deck overlay, a protective layer applied to repair damage and extend the bridge’s life, according to INDOT.
The work will significantly increase traffic on the Jackson St. bridge a block north of the Macklin bridge.
Non-local commercial traffic and large trucks will be rerouted via 13th Street (US 33) to Pleasant Mills, then along State Road 101 back to US 224 east of the city.
Brooks Construction of Fort Wayne is the contractor for the project.
AND ANOTHER: Due to start at any time – or already has – is a bridge deck overlay project at the south end of Decatur.
The work will be done on the U.S. 27 bridge over Borum Run at the U.S. 33 bypass, south of Winchester Street Extended.
The project won’t be completed until the end of October, according to INDOT, but one lane of US 27 will remain open in each direction at all times.
Crews will begin construction on the northbound side of the highway first, with traffic utilizing the southbound side.
Once the northbound side is complete, traffic will utilize those lanes while work is completed on the southbound side of the bridge, according to INDOT.
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