Canal bridge malfunction snarls traffic July 5
Traffic in Rehoboth Beach came to an even slower crawl than usual July 5 after the bridge over the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal malfunctioned, stopping traffic into and out of Rehoboth.
Jim Westhoff, spokesman for Delaware Department of Transportation, said a faulty connection to the drawbridge's brakes caused the bridge to not be able to go all the way down after being opened. The bridge was handcranked back down, and boaters were advised that the bridge would not be able to open through the weekend.
The bridge was stuck for an hour to an hour-and-a half; Rehoboth Police Chief Keith Banks said the bridge does get stuck a couple times a year, and typically it goes down after being reset.
The bridge was fully operation again by July 8. Westhoff said DelDOT officials decided to wait until the heavy weekend traffic had subsided before working on the bridge.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
