Auburn to receive $9.8 million for Wayne Street project

AUBURN — Relief will be coming to motorists after years of traffic delays on the Auburn’s south side of town.

The city was notified Friday that it has been awarded $9,858,400 in funding — for construction and construction inspection — as part of an Indiana Department of Transportation’s local public agency program funding for local rural projects. The dollars won’t be released to the city until fiscal year 2028.

The $9.8 million will help to fund the reconstruction of Wayne Street (C.R. 427) and a grade separation project over the CSX railroad tracks, which carries some 40 trains a day. Wayne Street, a major connector, carries some 7,000 motor vehicles in and out of the city daily.

“This is an amazing day for the City of Auburn and its residents and businesses,” said Auburn Mayor Mike Ley.

“Train traffic and its delays have been a major issue on the south side of town for years. It is one of the biggest complaints heard by my office.”

The city is committed to completing the project and will be contributing roughly 24% of the project costs through local sources. The city is currently working with a local company on pre-engineering for the project.

The project has an estimated price tag of $14.2 million. The project will include the reconstruction of Wayne Street south of the Auburn Drive, Wayne Street interchange to just south of the CSX railroad tracks. It will also include the construction of a grade separation over the CSX railroad tracks.

The proposed structure is expected to be a single-span bridge with integral end beams. The new structure will include mechanically stabilized earth walls to minimize impacts to the CSX Railroad right-of-way and surrounding parcels. The profile grade raise included with the bridge will meet the requirements of vertical clearance concerning the existing railroad facilities.

The project will also include the installation of new sidewalks with lighting on each side of the newly constructed Wayne Street for pedestrian conveyance.

“First and foremost, this project is invaluable in terms of emergency services response,” Ley said. “The project will also aid in the City of Auburn’s growth and development as this project will conveniently and efficiently connect the city’s south side with Auburn’s historic downtown, while also eliminating the frustration from stopped traffic we all experience.”

Ley said state and local leaders, along with local businesses and emergency services, have shown support of the project sharing letters of support for the grant proposal.

Of the 47 projects awarded, the Auburn project was awarded the largest amount of funding in this round of applications.