Delaware’s main drag, North DuPoint Road, is seeing some major concrete work. Most of this work is to a bridge on the drag. Crumbling concrete is falling from the bridge and sitting on the sides on the sides. So far no drivers or vehicles have been hit or damaged and while there’s no immediate danger to drivers, Delaware’s Department of Transportation (DelDOT) felt it necessary to begin emergency repairs.
As Maryland and its Department of Transportation struggle to begin emergency repair work on many bridges throughout the state, Delaware appears to be taking it seriously, too. DuPont Road, Del. 100, is closed at Del. 2, Kirkwood Highway, through the end of March 2015. This was reported by state officials eager to let residents and commuters know that there is no cause for alarm and this is strictly a preventative measure to protect everyone who takes the bridge day in and day out.
Investigation in the bridge occurred when a commuter reported a deep hole on the bridge’s southbound lane a few weeks ago. The state sent someone out immediately and determined that emergency repairs needed to be performed not just on the whole but the bridge as a whole. The hole was about two feet in diameter and you could see the steel reinforcement of the bridge below.
The bridge was originally erected in 1959 and was already on a list for new surface concrete in the coming 18 months. However, no real dates have been discussed with the community about the project. For now, DelDOT just wants to patch the job up for now and work on more in-depth repairs down the line. One of the reasons the project has taken so long to get off the ground is that one part of it will require them to close a 40 foot by 20 foot span of the bridge for a few days.
