Beginning today, drivers who use the St. Georges Bridge on Route 13 that crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal will have to find an alternative route to their destination. The structure is going to be closed for 18 months in both directions while crews repair it.
The closure was announced in January by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District and the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).
A $45.8 million contract was awarded to J.D. Eckman Inc.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the work being done to the structure includes the replacement of the entire depth of the concrete deck as well as the joints and railing that will make the bridge safer for the public and reduce future maintenance.
Funding is coming from the federal government through Energy and Water appropriations.
The 4,209-foot bridge is a tied arch structure built in 1941 and was modified in 2010. In 2018, it was closed for about four months for repairs that included replacing 45 floor beams below the decking and replacing joint strip seals across the entire span to allow the deck plates to move without creating gaps.
Traffic approaching the structure will be detoured to the Senator Roth Bridge on Route 1.
"The biggest challenge will be if...accidents occur on Route 1 that bog down traffic and prevent traffic flow over the Roth Bridge," said Lauren Wilson, the district's public information officer.
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Source: DelawareOnline.com
