- The project includes replacing the bridge decking, median barrier, bridge approaches and road surfaces and repairing other bridge structural features.
Drivers and bicyclists who use the St. Georges Bridge on Route 13 to cross the C&D Canal will have to find a long-range alternative beginning Tuesday.
The St. Georges Bridge will be closed to all traffic in both directions for 18 months during repairs.
The closure was first announced in late January by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District and the Delaware Department of Transportation.
Preliminary work was started which affected the bicycle lanes, but at least one bicycle lane remained open. On Tuesday, all lanes will be closed.
What’s being done?
The $45.8 million contract, awarded to J.D. Eckman, Inc., includes the replacement of the entire depth of the concrete deck as well as the joints and railing which will make the bridge safer for the public and reduce future maintenance, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The project is funded by the federal government through Energy and Water appropriations.
The 4,209-foot (0.8 mile) span is a tied arch structure built in 1941 and modified in 2010.
In 2018, it was closed for about four months for repairs that included replacing 45 floor beams below the decking and replacing joint strip seals across the entire span to allow the deck plates to move without creating gaps.
More on 2018 closure:How will St. Georges Bridge construction affect businesses on major Delaware north-south artery?
Detour options, some school bus routes affected
During construction, traffic approaching the St. Georges Bridge will be detoured to the Senator Roth Bridge on Route 1.
A few Colonial School District bus routes will be affected, but “that will only slightly impact” bus route times, said Lauren Wilson, the district’s public information officer.
“The biggest challenge will be if…accidents occur on Route 1 that bog down traffic and prevent traffic flow over the Roth Bridge,” Wilson said.
Several meetings with first responders have been held about the project, said Robin Bryson, DelDOT community relations coordinator.
Traffic advisories will be posted on the DelDOT website, app and WTMC 1380 AM radio.
Along with the Roth Bridge on Route 1, other bridges that cross the C&D Canal are the Summit Bridge on Route 896 near Bear and the Reedy Point Bridge on Route 9 near Delaware City.
The Reedy Point Bridge reopened in March after being closed during the construction of a roundabout on Route 9 at the intersection at the Fort DuPont development.
Bicyclists are allowed on the Reedy Point Bridge and the Summit Bridge, but not on the Roth Bridge.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.
