June 8 Update: DelDOT expects the bridge repair work to be completed in July. As we previously shared, corrosion to various areas of the bridge was discovered and these areas have been cleaned and painted. However, during the reinstallation of various components of the bridge, we identified additional machining work that is needed to ensure that the shafts and gears will operate properly. The additional work must be completed before the bridge is able to be reopened for both vehicle and marine traffic. We will provide another update as work progresses and we have a definitive date for the reopening of the bridge.
May 12 Update: DelDOT’s contractor, Covington Machine & Welding, Inc., continues to make progress on repairs to the Mispillion River Drawbridge. During the removal of damaged steel components, the contractor discovered 40 locations with heavy corrosion that were not detected during the initial evaluation of the bridge as these areas were not visible until the damaged pieces were removed. The contractor has hired a painting contractor that will clean and paint the steel components to resolve the corrosion issues and DelDOT currently anticipates all work will be completed on the structure in June and made fully operational for both vehicle and marine traffic. DelDOT will provide another update in early June as work nears completion so that they can communicate a timeline for reopening.