Plans are beginning to take shape for the widening of Fort Howard Road.

Council members approved a work order for EMC Engineering, at $115,000, to begin plans to widen Fort Howard Road from Highway 21 to the city limits and for accompanying drainage improvements.

City engineer Tim Baumgarten said crews were out surveying three days last week and the wetlands have been delineated. Plans call for Fort Howard Road to be widened from two to three lanes, along with sidewalks and piping for the ditches.

“Things are speeding right along,” he said.

He also said a contractor could be on board to start the work in November.

But council member Paul Wendelken didn’t appear to be happy with how long the project may take.

“I have pressed that,” he said. “I was told we would be ready to bid once we got the TE (Transportation Enhancement) grant in April. I kept saying, ‘let’s get it started.’ This is extremely disappointing to know it won’t be done this calendar year. I thought we would be ready to bid once we got the TE grant.”

Baumgartner said he was never instructed to have a construction plan put together. He expects the project to be ready to bid in November.

“I know we looked at some costs, but I was never told to put together a contract for this job,” he said.

Baumgartner said he has two people researching plats for rights-of-way. Also planned is a turn lane from Fort Howard Road into St. Andrews Road, but that could be accomplished in a different phase.