DelDOT And Department Of Education Partner For Unique Learning Opportunity

Indian River -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the Department of Education (DOE), collectively recognize the huge educational impact of the construction process of the Indian River Inlet Bridge, and are once again taking advantage of the unique learning opportunity presented by the construction project. Students from any school in Delaware are invited to tour the bridge construction site during the last year of major construction.

The site tours are two hours in duration from start to finish, and consist of a 40-45 minute PowerPoint presentation where students learn about the bridge building process, including how math, science and technology are used daily to build the massive structure.

During the tour, students will also have the opportunity to don hard hats and safety vests as they walk around the construction site as they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see history being made as crews work to build one of the biggest cable stay bridges on the East Coast.

Site tours are open to groups of students in grades 5-12, as well as college-level students and the general public. Scheduled site tours are conducted by both DelDOT and Skanska officials, with all safety measures being taken. Teachers or administrators interested in learning more about site tours or scheduling one, can go online to www.irib.deldot.gov, and click on Site Tours to submit a request.

Deborah Judy, a teacher in the Smyrna School District, which brought several students to the site for a tour states, "It is the goal of every educator to 'bring to life' the concepts we teach. The bridge visit, for us, did that and more. The experience is one my students will never forget, as so many people never get the opportunity to know the details of such a project with global involvement."

Besides the presentation/site tour experience, DelDOT and DOE encourage teachers, students and parents to visit the DelDOT website for more information, including General Information, Frequently Asked Questions, Glossary of Bridge Terms, Ask the Engineer link, as well as an extensive photo gallery and webcams that show daily activity at the bridge site.

Since education naturally leads to careers, DelDOT has also highlighted a Careers in Engineering link on its website. This link allows students to explore the different types of engineers, salary ranges, necessary education as well as view information on an engineering career path at DelDOT.