The long-awaited lift of the historic Lewes railroad swing bridge takes place right on schedule at 9 a.m., Feb. 15. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
The Digging & Rigging company crane has done its job and lifted the swing bridge onto a new concrete foundation Feb. 16 at the end of American Legion Road.
Work will now begin to improve the new swing-bridge site and turn it into a display area aimed at preserving Lewes’ railroad history.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge is airborne for a few minutes as it’s lifted by a Digging & Rigging 900-ton crane.
The swing bridge is turned around by the Digging & Rigging crane operator to be lowered onto a trailer along Gills Neck Road.
It’s moving day. The weather cooperates with the historic move of the Lewes swing bridge on Feb. 15.
Just after sunrise on Feb. 15, workers return to the swing-bridge site to prepare for its lift and move.
The swing bridge is lowered slowly and carefully onto a waiting trailer.
A dual-driver tractor-trailer is used to transport the 102-ton swing bridge from Gills Neck Road to American Legion Road.
Success! Around 9:20 a.m., Feb. 15, the Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a Mid-Atlantic Transport trailer in preparation for its move. 
The swing bridge is lowered onto the rear section of the trailer as workers prepare to secure the 102-ton structure.
It took workers more than two hours to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
It’s gone. After more than 100 years, the Lewes railroad swing bridge has been moved from its home on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal along Gills Neck Road.
The historic Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a tractor-trailer in preparation for its move from the outskirts of Lewes to Savannah Road.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge was built by the American Bridge Company in 1916.
Two workers prepare to lower the crane hoists onto the structure as the last step before the tractor-trailer pulls away.
Mid-Atlantic Transport workers complete preparations to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
The motorcade moving the swing bridge leaves Gills Neck Road on its way to American Legion Road.
More than a few motorists’ heads turned as they saw the Lewes swing bridge being transported along Gills Neck Road on the first leg of its short journey to a permanent display area.
The tractor-trailer carrying the swing bridge heads along Kings Highway toward Freeman Highway.
It’s a really wide turn from Cape Henlopen Drive onto Savannah Road during the final leg of the swing bridge’s move to a new location at the end of American Legion Road.
Making its final turn, the tractor-trailer prepares to leave Savannah Road and enter American Legion Road, where the swing bridge will come to rest at its new home.
Mid-Atlantic Transport’s Webb Dulin remotely drives the rear section of the tractor-trailer as it turns off Savannah Road onto American Legion Road.
It’s arrived. The swing bridge is moved to its new home along the section of trail connecting Lewes to Cape Henlopen State Park.
It seems strange to see this view along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal without the railroad swing bridge in it.
The swing bridge historic site is accessible from the Junction & Breakwater Trailhead between Lewes and Freeman Highway.
Digging & Rigging workers pack up their crane after two days of work in Lewes.
The long-awaited lift of the historic Lewes railroad swing bridge takes place right on schedule at 9 a.m., Feb. 15. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
The Digging & Rigging company crane has done its job and lifted the swing bridge onto a new concrete foundation Feb. 16 at the end of American Legion Road.
Work will now begin to improve the new swing-bridge site and turn it into a display area aimed at preserving Lewes’ railroad history.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge is airborne for a few minutes as it’s lifted by a Digging & Rigging 900-ton crane.
The swing bridge is turned around by the Digging & Rigging crane operator to be lowered onto a trailer along Gills Neck Road.
It’s moving day. The weather cooperates with the historic move of the Lewes swing bridge on Feb. 15.
Just after sunrise on Feb. 15, workers return to the swing-bridge site to prepare for its lift and move.
The swing bridge is lowered slowly and carefully onto a waiting trailer.
A dual-driver tractor-trailer is used to transport the 102-ton swing bridge from Gills Neck Road to American Legion Road.
Success! Around 9:20 a.m., Feb. 15, the Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a Mid-Atlantic Transport trailer in preparation for its move.
The swing bridge is lowered onto the rear section of the trailer as workers prepare to secure the 102-ton structure.
It took workers more than two hours to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
It’s gone. After more than 100 years, the Lewes railroad swing bridge has been moved from its home on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal along Gills Neck Road.
The historic Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a tractor-trailer in preparation for its move from the outskirts of Lewes to Savannah Road.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge was built by the American Bridge Company in 1916.
Two workers prepare to lower the crane hoists onto the structure as the last step before the tractor-trailer pulls away.
Mid-Atlantic Transport workers complete preparations to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
The motorcade moving the swing bridge leaves Gills Neck Road on its way to American Legion Road.
More than a few motorists’ heads turned as they saw the Lewes swing bridge being transported along Gills Neck Road on the first leg of its short journey to a permanent display area.
The tractor-trailer carrying the swing bridge heads along Kings Highway toward Freeman Highway.
It’s a really wide turn from Cape Henlopen Drive onto Savannah Road during the final leg of the swing bridge’s move to a new location at the end of American Legion Road.
Making its final turn, the tractor-trailer prepares to leave Savannah Road and enter American Legion Road, where the swing bridge will come to rest at its new home.
Mid-Atlantic Transport’s Webb Dulin remotely drives the rear section of the tractor-trailer as it turns off Savannah Road onto American Legion Road.
It’s arrived. The swing bridge is moved to its new home along the section of trail connecting Lewes to Cape Henlopen State Park.
It seems strange to see this view along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal without the railroad swing bridge in it.
The swing bridge historic site is accessible from the Junction & Breakwater Trailhead between Lewes and Freeman Highway.
Digging & Rigging workers pack up their crane after two days of work in Lewes.
Story Location
American Legion Road
Lewes, DE 19958
United States
It only took a crew from Delaware Department of Transportation contractor Digging & Rigging Inc. a few minutes to lift the historic Lewes railroad swing bridge just after 9 a.m., Feb. 15. But it took hours to prepare the bridge and site, and build the huge 900-ton crane used for the lift.
Then it took another two hours for contractor Mid-Atlantic Transport to secure the 102-ton bridge structure to a dual-driver tractor-trailer for transport to its new home at a display site near the end of American Legion Road. The swing bridge’s second lift onto its new foundation took place before 11 a.m., Feb. 16.
The swing bridge has been in place on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal since 1919.
The route included Gills Neck Road to Kings Highway, onto Freeman Highway and over the bridge to Cape Henlopen Drive, and then Savannah Road to American Legion Road. The journey was completed in less than 40 minutes.
As the swing bridge was moved to its new location, workers on the other side of the canal began to disassemble the crane for its move to the display area.
“We’ve never done anything like this before,” said Webb Dulin, who operated the rear section of the trailer. “We actually had the easy part, with most of the hard work done before us. We understand how important this is because of its long history.”
The project to lift the swing bridge was halted Dec. 1 when it was determined the crane in place could not lift the structure. The weight was estimated at 70 tons, when in actuality, the bridge weighs 102.5 tons or 205,000 pounds.
DelDOT then hired contractor Digging & Rigging to bring in a 900-ton, all-terrain crane to lift the bridge.
The 106-year-old swing bridge, one of the last remaining hand-cranked railroad bridges in the country, has not been used for nearly five years. The bridge was deemed unsafe in 2017 and closed after the discovery that scouring around its supports in the canal had dropped the bridge's foundation 7 to 8 inches.
The Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association can be credited with saving the bridge from being scrapped. Through the cooperation of DelDOT, the City of Lewes and the association, a plan was developed to save the bridge and find a location to display it.
According to association members, work still needs to be done to restore bridge parts that were detached prior to the move and to construct a fence around the display area. The association will also provide interpretative signage, benches and landscaping.
The project also includes removal of the embankment on the marsh side of the canal, and construction of a trailhead and fishing area at the end of the trail along the canal side.
The long-awaited lift of the historic Lewes railroad swing bridge takes place right on schedule at 9 a.m., Feb. 15. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
The Digging & Rigging company crane has done its job and lifted the swing bridge onto a new concrete foundation Feb. 16 at the end of American Legion Road.
Work will now begin to improve the new swing-bridge site and turn it into a display area aimed at preserving Lewes’ railroad history.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge is airborne for a few minutes as it’s lifted by a Digging & Rigging 900-ton crane.
The swing bridge is turned around by the Digging & Rigging crane operator to be lowered onto a trailer along Gills Neck Road.
It’s moving day. The weather cooperates with the historic move of the Lewes swing bridge on Feb. 15.
Just after sunrise on Feb. 15, workers return to the swing-bridge site to prepare for its lift and move.
The swing bridge is lowered slowly and carefully onto a waiting trailer.
A dual-driver tractor-trailer is used to transport the 102-ton swing bridge from Gills Neck Road to American Legion Road.
Success! Around 9:20 a.m., Feb. 15, the Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a Mid-Atlantic Transport trailer in preparation for its move.
The swing bridge is lowered onto the rear section of the trailer as workers prepare to secure the 102-ton structure.
It took workers more than two hours to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
It’s gone. After more than 100 years, the Lewes railroad swing bridge has been moved from its home on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal along Gills Neck Road.
The historic Lewes swing bridge is lifted onto a tractor-trailer in preparation for its move from the outskirts of Lewes to Savannah Road.
The Lewes railroad swing bridge was built by the American Bridge Company in 1916.
Two workers prepare to lower the crane hoists onto the structure as the last step before the tractor-trailer pulls away.
Mid-Atlantic Transport workers complete preparations to secure the swing bridge to the trailer.
The motorcade moving the swing bridge leaves Gills Neck Road on its way to American Legion Road.
More than a few motorists’ heads turned as they saw the Lewes swing bridge being transported along Gills Neck Road on the first leg of its short journey to a permanent display area.
The tractor-trailer carrying the swing bridge heads along Kings Highway toward Freeman Highway.
It’s a really wide turn from Cape Henlopen Drive onto Savannah Road during the final leg of the swing bridge’s move to a new location at the end of American Legion Road.
Making its final turn, the tractor-trailer prepares to leave Savannah Road and enter American Legion Road, where the swing bridge will come to rest at its new home.
Mid-Atlantic Transport’s Webb Dulin remotely drives the rear section of the tractor-trailer as it turns off Savannah Road onto American Legion Road.
It’s arrived. The swing bridge is moved to its new home along the section of trail connecting Lewes to Cape Henlopen State Park.
It seems strange to see this view along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal without the railroad swing bridge in it.
The swing bridge historic site is accessible from the Junction & Breakwater Trailhead between Lewes and Freeman Highway.
Digging & Rigging workers pack up their crane after two days of work in Lewes.Event Details :
American Legion Road
Lewes, DE 19958
United States
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