VALPARAISO | Another major project that has been talked about for decades is finally ready to begin construction.

On Wednesday, the city's Board of Public Works and Safety approved the final plans for the reconstruction of Lincolnway between Roosevelt Road and LaPorte Avenue and authorized Engineering Director David Pilz to seek bids for the project.

Pilz said the project is estimated to cost $2.72 million, and bids will be opened Feb. 14. If they are acceptable, the board of works could award the contract two weeks later and construction could start in early spring.

"If we can get going early enough, it could be substantially completed in one season," Pilz told the board.

The project involves widening Lincolnway to three lanes with a continuous center left-turn lane and adding curbs, gutters, sidewalks, decorative lighting and landscaping. All the existing utility poles on Lincolnway will be relocated behind the businesses on the north side of the road.

Utility connections to the northside businesses will be run from the relocated poles. Businesses on the south side of Lincolnway will have utility connections from LaPorte Avenue.

The project is being funded by the city's Redevelopment Commission. At Pilz's request, the board of works approved an additional payment to American Structurepoint, engineering consultant for the project, for the design of a bridge over Knode Creek.

The bridge is for a pathway the city hopes to build from Lincolnway to connect to an existing one on Chicago Street at the Knode Creek detention basin. The cost of the additional design work was $13,200, which the commission also will fund.

Traffic will be maintained during construction.