First Deck Pour And Other Successes On Indian River Inlet Bridge

Bethany Beach -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces several accomplishments this week on the Indian River Inlet Bridge Project including the first concrete pour on the bridge deck, a successful Public Workshop and the wrap up of the design phase of the contract.

This week, weather pending, the first major concrete pour for the roadway (deck) portion of the new bridge will be placed. Over 200 cubic yards of concrete mix will be pumped from a concrete pumper truck below the deck via a large pump mechanism to the deck portion of the bridge. It will take almost 30 concrete trucks to provide enough material for the 72 foot section of roadway being poured this week. It will take a small army of more than 230 construction workers and another large piece of equipment to finish the concrete. With 2600 feet of roadway to complete, this is the first of many deck concrete pours to occur over the remainder of 2010. This marks a milestone, as the bridge continues to take form and this deck pour strengthens the visual realization of a bridge structure.

Sunshine and blue skies made for a busy Public Workshop/Open House for the Indian River Inlet Bridge on Saturday, April 24. The open house held by DelDOT and Skanska USA, Civil Southeast, Inc. grabbed the attention of over 500 people, who took the opportunity to tour the site of the new bridge as it is being constructed. The open house included an information tent with over 20 stations that told the story of the new bridge, from design to construction to completion. Visitors were given the chance to speak with numerous experts working on different aspects of the bridge, which enabled them to get a clear view of the complex and technical nature of bridge building. For people wanting a closer look at the bridge structure, both walking and bus tours were available to the southside of the job site. Tour guides from DelDOT and Skanska escorted visitors to various areas of the site that gave them unparalleled views of the work that has already been completed on the site. Even as public looked on, work continued on the bridge on Saturday, as crews conducted a concrete pour on the pylon tower on the southside of the project.

The design phase of the bridge, which is approximately 95% complete, is beginning to slow as most of the plans have now been finalized. Minimal design work will, however, continue between now and the end of the project as design will now support the construction phase. The four pylon towers, the most striking and visible part of the bridge, will be nearing completion by the end of summer.