Milton council gives approval for library construction detours

Milton Town Council unanimously approved closing Union Street for two separate days so Sussex County can perform a rehabilitation project on the Milton library.

County officials said they needed the town's approval to detour traffic around Union Street, which runs in front of the library, on the first day and last day of the expected $330,000 project. County Engineer Hans Medlarz told town council June 4 the closures are needed to move a barge in and out of the Broadkill River to work on the library.

The project will install a new bulkhead in order to stop the first floor of the library from sinking into the river. Medlarz said the barge would be carried on a special transport and placed into the river.

Construction could be done in approximately 30 days if there are no unforeseen issues - such as items buried at the bottom of the river, Medlarz said. He said there is no start date yet; the project could start within four weeks at the earliest but would likely be longer than that, Medlarz said. He said the library will remain open during construction, although the patio adjacent to the library will be closed. Medlarz said detour routes still need approval from the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Town Manager Kristy Rogers said details of road closures would be posted on the town's website. She said access to the municipal parking lot, adjacent to the library, would remain open and be accessible from Mulberry Street. Rogers said a few parking spaces in the municipal lot would likely close, although parking behind the library will remain open.

While the dates for the road closures are unknown, Medlarz said they would most likely be between Tuesday and Thursday.

The county has operated the library since 1980. The building has been added to over the years, but the oldest section dates back to around 1912.

Mayor Ted Kanakos said of the project, "It's something that has to be done."