Bridge safety measures chosen over canal view

At the expense of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal view, the Route 1 canal bridge outside Rehoboth will be safer for vehicles and pedestrians when work is completed this spring.

Beginning with the northbound bridge, the two Route 1 bridges that cross the canal have been under construction since the end of the summer. In early January, the traffic pattern changed so the Delaware Department of Transportation could work on the southbound lanes of the bridge. The change in traffic exposed the work that had taken place the previous three months – most noticeably the height of the new walls.

DelDOT project manager George Pierce said when the bridge was originally constructed in the mid-1960s the walls were 36 inches high. Now, he said, due to an increase in vehicle size, the bridge barrier separating sidewalk from road is 42 inches, while the barrier separating road from canal is 54 inches.

In an email Jan. 13, Pierce said the canalside wall is required to be only 42 inches tall, but was increased to deter pedestrians from potentially hopping the wall in an attempt to get to the other span. The span distance between the two bridges creates the illusion there is no gap between the two spans, he said.

In addition to safety, the building method for the new walls saved time. Using the Indian River Inlet bridge as an example, Pierce said DelDOT could have made custom barriers, with metal rails to increase visibility, but it would have slowed down work. The standard installation allowed for the barrier to be made over a 2-day period, he said, while the custom concrete work required for a special barrier could have extended the project schedule by almost a month.

In addition to the height of the walls, DelDOT has installed a protective railing on the back of the metal guardrail on the leadup to the bridge. Pierce said technically, this is not a handrail because it doesn’t meet handicap accessibility design standards, but were installed as extra safety because many pedestrians use the bridge. He said the old handrail was saved and will be replaced by the time the project is complete.

“The fence in place now is temporary,” said Pierce. “We needed to get the pedestrian walkway open immediately to maintain pedestrian access across the bridge when we switched work between the spans.”

DelDOT has continued to say the $8 million project will be finished by summer. In a recent press release, DelDOT said there will be lane closures on both spans to prepare the final riding surface. Pierce said DelDOT is still working through the potential phasing of this, but the current plan is to have a minimum of one lane in each direction open for the two weeks required for resurfacing.

Pierce said the expected lifespan of these renovations, which also includes structural work on the bridge, is about 50 years.