Load-testing on Indian River Inlet bridge

The Delaware Department of Transportation in conjunction with the University of Delaware will have intermittent bridge closures for 15-minute intervals beginning at 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, and ending at 3 a.m. on Friday, May 2, for diagnostic load testing.

Right lane closures approaching the bridge will occur in both the northbound and southbound lanes on Route 1. The threat of bad weather moved the test to from Wednesday to Thursday.

At all times, emergency response vehicles will have access.

Diagnostic load testing involves driving pre-weighed trucks across a bridge, and recording measurements as the test vehicle is moves across. From the data collected during the test, a number of significant properties that affect the bridge's actual load-carrying capacity can be determined. By gathering enough response data, a more accurate structural model of the bridge can be developed and used in the final bridge rating.

In Delaware, bridges are rated using the Bridge Rating and Analysis of Structural Systems program.