Both lanes of the Reedy Point Bridge, a cantilever truss bridge that carries Delaware Route 9 over the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, are now open to traffic. Except for a day or two of testing, in which case one lane will be closed, both lanes will remain open until the spring.
Work will resume on the bridge once the weather is warm enough to permit painting, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District said today. That work will necessitate the resumption of lane closures. For the most part just one lane will be closed, enabling motorists to use the bridge. But both lanes will be closed for two, one-week periods, requiring motorists to use detours.. The project is expected to be completed by July. No dates have been set yet for the resumption of work nor the weeks of full closure.
In addition to painting, the project entails removing lead paint and making repairs to welds and steel members. Originally estimated at $7 million, the project has been expanded to include additional painting and repair and is expected to cost approximately $10 million. Corcon Construction, of Lowellville, Ohio, is performing the work.
Constructed in 1969, the bridge last underwent major repairs in 1999 when $888,000 was spent on miscellaneous steel work.. In 1995, $2.5 million was spent on anchor and deck span repairs and painting.
The Philadelphia District of the Army Corps of Engineers maintains and operates the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the five, high-level bridges that cross it.
Release no. 13-002